Torn by Two
by KaseZ
Summary: A love triangle between Cloud, Aerith, and Zack. Going deep into the mind of the three, to explore the attraction and feelings the two men had for Aerith, and their struggles to win her heart. Torn by two men she cares deeply for, who will she choose? Follows the FFVII storyline after Crisis Core, with some changes to add drama and cater to Zack being brought back to life. AxC, AxZ
1. The Soldier Who Fell From the Sky

**Torn by Two – Chapter 1**

His back aches, the back of his head feels numb from the impact, his mind spinning. The blonde hair man felt as if all the bones in his body has been shattered, into million pieces. He thought for sure, he'd be dead. How could he not be dead? He fell from the reactor after Shinra's 'Air Buster' exploded, and the last thing he saw was a girl with long dark hair, she was reaching for him, she had tears in her ruby eyes. At least he got to see her again. At least her beautiful face was the last thing he saw before he fell.

"You came back!" He heard a young woman's voice, followed by quick footsteps approaching him. "No… That's not Za— He moved! Hello?!" _I'm already dead,_ _just let me rest in peace, damnit. _The blond man frowned.

"Hey you are alive!"

_I am… alive?_ The Soldier slowly opened his eyes, he squint, trying to focus on the blurry face in front of him. A portrait of a girl with emerald eyes pieced in front of him. She is looking down at him, and she wore a worried look across her face. _Wow… _The young woman in front of him has long brown wavy hair which she wears in a ponytail, bangs parted in the middle. Her skin is clear and translucent, with touches of pink on her cheeks, the color of her lips is a beautiful shade of peach. _What a sight. _He secretly thought to himself.

His other four senses begin to revive as well. The air tasted like sweet nectar, causing his dry mouth to salivate, the smell of floral tickled his nostril, he can hear birds chirping faintly in the background. He is lying on something soft and moist. He slowly sat up to find that he is lying on a flower bed, broken planks of wood surrounds him and the yellow bed of flowers.

"You okay?" the young woman let out a sigh of relief. The man in the purple Soldier uniform nodded as he look around his surroundings. "This is a church in the Sector 5 slums, you came crashing down", she answered before he could ask, she pointed to the ceiling.

He looks up to find a hole in the ceiling, "I fell from the plate" _after fighting Shinra_… he brought his gaze back to the flower bed, "the ceiling of the church and this flower bed must have broken my fall".

"That's right" She smiled. Although she is curious as to why he was up there, she had never questioned the first man who fell from the roof, and she is not about to ask this one either. "So, we meet again".

Her last comment surprised the blonde Soldier, he thought she looked familiar. He brought his hands to his forehead, as if it will help him fish into his memory bank,_ 'Flowers… yellow flowers, slums…. Girl in pink…' a_nd it worked, he remembers. "You were selling flowers".

She was selling flowers near an alley in the slums. There was a huge commotion after Avalanche blew up the reactor, a man bumped into her, and she fell. He offered his hand to her, helping her up, he even bought a flower from the girl… which he gave to Tifa. The man beat himself up mentally for not remembering such a pretty face, then again, he never paid much attention to women's faces on the street. Up until recently, he only had one goal. To become Soldier… all for this one person…

"You remembered! I'm so happy!" This time, the woman in pink offered her hand to help the man up, "returning the favor", she smiled.

This tiny girl is offering to pull him off the ground? The corner of the man's lips slightly curved up as he reached and felt her warm small hand. He watched in amusement as the petite girl struggled to pull him off the ground. She bit her lips and pulled harder again. He intentionally keep himself grounded and watched her whole body rock back and forth as she recollects her strength at every pull. "Hey, don't just sit and watch. You need to do your part by wanting to get up!" She pouted and withdrew her hand, along with her offer.

The Soldier couldn't help but chuckle. He felt his expression relaxed, discovering muscles in his face that he had not used for a long time, his abdominal throbbing in a pleasant way. His heart felt warm. He has not felt this way for a long time. "I'm sorry, I'm just teasing", he smirked. He pulled himself up, and begin to dust off the dirt off his uniform.

The young woman observe the tall man in front of her. He is lean, muscles defined. His blonde spikey hair reminded her of the messy feathers found on Chocobos' heads. His purple uniform is definitely a staple of Shinra's Soldiers, she is certain of this. _He wore the exact same uniform._ She observe further onto his facial features and then, something drawn her in, and she couldn't get out. It was his eyes. She felt her heart sink, she had forgotten this shade of blue, and she has not seen these sapphire for 5 years. His eyes are the most beautiful shade of blue, no ocean, no gems, no flowers, no materia can match this color. She continue to sink deeper into his magnificent spell binding eyes. _A Soldier's trademark, he once said…_

The Soldier brought his gaze back to the woman and found her emerald eyes staring directly into his. He too could not help but to admire her beautiful features. The two shared a moment, and neither the man nor the woman can explain the sensation that is beginning to stir within their hearts. The Soldier, trying his best to keep his cool, put an end to the staring contest, "Thank you for saving me. I'm Cloud, what is your name?"

His words snapped her back to reality, she felt her face heat up from embarrassment. _Oh no… he must have noticed me staring. _"I didn't do anything, it was the flowers who saved you… " She looked away, she put her hands on her cheeks in attempt to cool down the raising temperature. "Aerith… My name is Aerith".

* * *

oxoxoxox

Hi folks, Thank you for reading my first fic. I hope this served well as an introduction. I wanted to highlight the almost 'love at first sight' attraction Aerith and Cloud had for each other. I'm still thinking of a way to get Zack back, but he won't be back until a few more chapters, right now I want to concentrate on building her relationship with Cloud. To be honest, I don't even know which protagonist I like more, Cloud or Zack and I can't wait until I get to the part where I get to decide which hottie I want Aerith to keep. Thanks for reading :).


	2. His & Her Savior

_Chapter Two _

"Hey, let's take a break!" Aerith pants. She points to the empty park. "Sector 7 is just around the corner, before we enter, let me catch my breath"

Cloud nodded in response as he watched a droplet of sweat slide down her cheek. He took a seat on the swing, facing what the blonde man believed to be a slide in the form of a white bear's head. Though this is a 'park', he realized there are no children around. The chains on the swing are rusted, the 'white bear slide' is covered with dirt. This place makes him wonder why they even built a park in the slums.

The Soldier reminiscence on the events that took place yesterday. Turks showed up at the church all of a sudden. Aerith asked him to be his bodyguard, and in exchange for his service, she said she will go on a date with him. He remembered the expression on her face when she told him the form of payment he will be rewarded with. Her face was slightly red, which she tried to hide by looking down on the wooden floor of the church, drawing circles with the tip of her brown boots. Cloud agreed to help the flower girl by taking her home, after all, her flowers did save his life… Although he will never admit it, the flower girl gave him an excuse to go on a date with her, how can he say no to that? _What a bold one… _he chuckled at the thought.

"Are you sure your mother will be okay with you sneaking out?" He asked, watching the young woman climb up the 'bear slide' and sat herself down at the peak. She has a huge grin on her innocent face, which reminded Cloud of Marlene's expression when she is playing with her Barbie dolls. Aerith looks like she is really enjoying herself and his company.

"Don't worry. She is used to me sneaking out. I haven't gone outside of Midgar for over 10 years, at least let me travel outside my home", she giggled. It is true, sneaking out was something that _'he' _taught her. It made her feel less limited, it was her way of tasting freedom, her way of going on an adventure. She had always yearned for adventure outside of this city. 'He' promised to take her out, to travel the world, but he never did.

Although Cloud enjoys her company, the idea of her sneaking out after he had escorted her home made him uncomfortable. What happens after she guides him to Sector 7? Is she going to walk back home by herself? She can barely lift up her staff, what if she gets attacked by thieves? What if she bumps into the Turks? His thoughts translated to his face. "I don't know, now that I know the way, I think I should take you home".

"I will be fine Cloud, I am tougher than you think. I am so tough, that maybe I can even join Soldier!" She rolled up the short sleeve of her red jacket, uncovering a bit of skin from her shoulder. She flexed her bicep, exposing her non-existent muscle. She grinned at the man, revealing her pearly white teeth.

Cloud chuckled at the sight. This is the second time she had brought a smile to his face. She is so fragile, so small, yet so adventurous, so bold. Everything about her is so intriguing to the young man. He wants to know more and more about this woman in pink.

"Say Cloud, you were in Soldier right?" she slides down the 'bear'.

"How did you guess?"

"Your eyes gave it away" she answered as she walk closer and closer to the man. She blend down a little to meet his face. "May I take a look?" she asked.

Cloud said nothing, he watched as the wind softly blew at her silky brown curls, she shined brilliantly, contrasting the dull background of the slum. She is so close to him, her beautiful features and her feminine flora scent sent vibrations up his brain. It numbed his whole being. _Gosh, she is gorgeous. _

Taking his silence as a yes, she slowly cupped her small hands on his cheek as if she is handling something delicate and fragile. She gently brought his gaze to hers.

Aerith stared into his mako infused eyes once again, they are beautiful, and how she missed those eyes. They look like the exact same blue eyes that never came back no matter how long she waited. She doesn't want to let them go again. Her gut is telling her she wants to get to know this person more. Fate had brought this mysterious handsome stranger to her, yet she felt like she knew him already, as if they are the same person.

The man sat there, still, as if she had casted a stop spell on him. He can feel her soft hands warmed his cheeks. Something in his chest is pounding rapidly, a foreign feeling to Cloud. This is the first time he let someone he had just met get this close to him. A complete 'stranger' some can say, but this stranger, this beautiful stranger has completely captivated him, and it is happening too fast for him to comprehend what he is feeling. Unconsciously, he brought his hand to hers, feeling the back of her left hand.

"Oh" surprised by his touch, she let go of his cheeks and stepped back. Her face is beginning to change color once again.

The blonde haired man realizing his actions, brought his gaze down.

"I'm sorry" they both said at the same time.

"Cloud… what class were you?"Aerith said, breaking the awkwardness.

Cloud brought this hand to his forehead, striking his 'thinking pose'. "First Class"

"Same as him" She sighed.

_Him? Oh, she has a boyfriend. No surprise, a girl like that - someone must have snatched her up already. Wait, why do I care anyway? It doesn't matter… _But just to confirm, he will ask her. "Who is 'him'?"

"My boyfriend" she said softly as she fiddled with the black ribbon on her neck.

Cloud felt like someone had punched him in the stomach following her answer, he doesn't understand why he felt the ache and what had caused it… yet... Regardless, he must keep his cool. "What is his name? Maybe I know him"

The flower girl shook her head, "It doesn't matter, he never came back."

Cloud knew exactly what this means, Soldiers are consistently on missions, although Soldier first class are strong, they can still get killed in battles. Soldiers are human, they are not invincible, unless this person is Sephiroth. "I'm sorry for your lost"

"Don't be. He was a big flirt, maybe he met someone new and ran off with her" She laughed, a fake laugh. "I've waited 5 years, I'm over it" she clenched her fist at the thought, her nails dug into her skin.

The idea of a man abandoning this woman is sickening to Cloud. She is the hidden treasure buried deep within the slums, how can anyone resist a treasure? Five years is a long time, yet, she wasted away five years of her young life waiting for this man. Cloud felt a slight sting in his heart, a feeling he has not felt since Nibelheim, could it be jealousy?

Aerith always knew it was a possibility that some woman have snatched her 'boyfriend' away, though the thought hurts her deeply, she would rather believe he had left for someone else, than to imagine he is no longer a part of this world. Memories that was once suppressed begin to surface again, the feeling of lost and loneliness that she has gone through for the last 5 years. She can feel the wounds in her heart reopen, they were wounds that no elixir or cure spells could heal. She continued to laugh trying to cover her sadness, tears began to form in her green eyes.

Cloud is no woman reader, but he is no fool. He could tell the laugh was not sincere, he could tell the fluids collecting in her eyes are no tears of joy. He watched the woman in front of him battle the tears with all her might. The tears collected in her emerald eyes like a pool, she's fighting hard not to let the liquid run down her face. His heart throbbed at the sight. This woman, whom he had just met, helped him feel more emotions than he has ever felt. Everything about this woman is different, special, yet familiar, as if he has been waiting to meet her his whole life. He wants to console her, make her feel better, take away the pain, hold her tight in his arms, and offer his shoulder to cry on. _What is this I'm feeling? _Without thinking whether it is proper, he stood up and gently placed a hand on her shoulder "Sorry" he apologized again for her lost.

All she could see in her watery line of vision was his chest, his purple uniform. She felt as if 'he' was in front of her, and he is apologizing for leaving her, for not writing back, for not pulling her flower wagon with her, for not saving her from the slums. Aerith could not hold it anymore, she fell into the soldier's chest, taking in the scent of the purple fabric. She held on tight to the man's back, feeling the soldier's back and his buster sword. _I've missed you so much. _For now, she will just imagine.

He too, doesn't care anymore, she maybe a stranger whom he just met for a day, but he felt like he had known her for much longer, she had saved him in many ways than they can both comprehend. It is his turn to save her, the man slowly brought his muscular arms to embrace the small framed woman, protecting her from the villain in her mind, 'like a good bodyguard should', he thought, giving himself an excuse for his actions.

The two stood there, feeling the soft wind blew. They felt as if nothing else mattered. The moment was special. The flower girl felt the embrace wash away the pain in her heart, replacing it with a new warmth. The soldier felt his heart opened up to the woman in his arms, emotions that he has locked up for a very long time.

The soldier pulled back a bit, just enough to see the woman's face, checking if she is uncomfortable with his embrace. He noticed the pool of tears in her eyes were no longer, she brought her gaze up and smiled innocently at him. Cloud felt relief at the sight of her smile. _Thank you Cloud… and _"Sorry about your shirt" she giggled.

_My shirt? _The blonde haired soldier noticed two wet marks on his dark purple uniform. Her eyes must have rubbed onto my top when I held her, soaking up her tears, he thought. The woman who was on the edge of crying a moment ago, is now giggling in his arms. _What a weirdo,_ he smirked at his own thought.

Their embrace was short lived when the gate to Sector 7 opened and a Chocobo pulling a buggy entered the area. The giant bird made a sharp turn towards Wall Market. The two caught a better look at the passengers in the buggy. A woman with long dark hair in a tiny blue dress stood at the rear of the vehicle. Cloud's arms dropped with haste, breaking their embrace. "Tifa…"

_She's beautiful… _Aerith thought as she and the girl in blue eyes caught each other. "Is she the girl you were talking about at my house?"

The man nodded, eyes still on the buggy.

"I know where that buggy is heading. We've got to hurry!"

Xoxoxoxo

Hello, last night I accidentally uploaded the wrong .doc to chapter 1, it contained a merge of Chapt 1 and 2, as well as a few scenes that I decided not to add to the story... I hope I didn't confuse everyone… Thank you for reading, sorry for the inconvenience.


	3. Wall Market

Chapter 3

"I don't know about this", the blonde haired man said as he unfolds the purple silk dress tailored to his measures.

Cloud and Aerith are inside the Wall Market Clothing Boutique. After learning Tifa was brought to Don Corneo's mansion for an interview, Aerith decided the only way for Cloud to reach her is to dress the man up as a woman. "No complaining, this is the only way to get to Tifa!" trying her hardest to hold her laughter. The flower girl is having so much fun with Cloud's misfortune. "We have to go all out! To make sure you are as pretty as you can possibly be!"

The ex soldier is not happy with the idea, but Tifa's safety comes first. Eversince they have reached Wall Market, Cloud could not stop wondering what Tifa is doing at Don Corneo's mansion. Is she out of her mind? A worried look cross his face.

"She must be a special lady Cloud. We will find her. I am sure of it!" The flower girl tried to cheer him up.

"Yeah, she is." He looked into their shopping bags. They just picked up the purple silk dress, a diamond tiara and a blonde wig the gym owner gave him for defeating Big Bro in squats. "Looks like we got everything".

Aerith shook her head, "You need to put on make-up to look really feminine! There is no point if we get there just to get your cover blown!"

Cloud doesn't understand how makeup will make him more attractive, but she does have a point. All their efforts will go to waste if the guard finds out that he is a man… "Do you know where we can get some make-up? Who is going to put make up on me?" _The last question sounded so wrong, _he thought.

"I don't know… and I don't know how" Elmyra never let her use make-up growing up, she said they are a waste of money and hides her natural beauty. The only cosmetic she owns is a simple clear lip gloss, which she hides in her closet, so her mom wouldn't know. She felt embarrassed, being a girl, but so clueless about this topic. "But I'm sure we can easily find some! I saw a lot of pretty girls at the south eastern part of the market, I'm sure they would know!"

The two left the boutique and headed southeast of the market, the women in pink stopped in her tracks when she heard a noise, 'grrrrrrr', she looked around trying to find the source of the sound. She noticed Cloud had a hand on his stomach, looking up at the 'Wall Market Asian Restaurant" logo above his head.

"Let's go in" Aerith demanded.

"We don't have time" the man with the growling stomach answered.

"You need strength to fight, you can't help Tifa like this. Let's go" she went behind the man, and pushed him towards the entrance of the restaurant.

"Welcome! Please take a seat anywhere you like!" the chef behind the sushi counter greeted. Aerith and Cloud took a seat by the counter. "What would you like? We serve Sushi, Korean BBQ Kalbi Dinner and for today's special we have Fried Rice"

"I will have the Kalbi" the blonde man answered immediately, the man needs his meats.

"I will have the rice, thank you"

"Certainly, right away", the chef prepared the two dishes in front of the two, placing the food in a bento with his skilled hands, as if he has been doing this for many years. Within minutes, two beautiful display of bentos are presented to them.

The man in purple and the flower girl dug in to their food, enjoying the Asian cuisine. Aerith felt as though she is on a date, her lips curved up even as she chew on her food. Cloud on the other hand is busy wolfing down his food. She looked up at Cloud, he has already finished and is signaling for the bill, she noticed barbeque sauce at the corner of his lips. The young women chuckled, reaching out gently to wipe the sauce off his face with her thumb. The blonde haired man's chest jumped at her touch.

"Look at you love birds." A smiling waitress approached them with their bill.

Aerith immediately withdrew her hand. _What was I thinking? I shouldn't have done that._

"We are giving out pharmacy coupons to all customers as promotions. We have digestive, disinfectant and deodorant, which one would you like?" the waitress continued.

"Anything is fine" the ex-soldier muttered, his voice sounded a little disappointed at the interruption. He puts 50 gil on the table.

The waitress shrugged that gave them the Digestive Coupon. "Thank you, please come again" she bowed before taking off.

Aerith and Cloud left the restaurant, and almost immediately, a middle aged woman with long red hair ran after them. "Excuse me!"

"What is it?"

"Your coupon! The waitress said she gave the last digestive coupon to you" the red haired woman said in distress, she has her arms wrapped around her stomach. "May I please have it? I ordered the sushi and now, my insides are acting up!"

"Cloud, let's give her the coupon"

The man took out the coupon from his pocket and gave it to the distressed woman.

"Thank you! Here, please take this" the middle aged woman handed Aerith a pink bottle of perfume. "Think of it as a trade, girls your age love this perfume" the woman turned and head towards the pharmacy, taking the coupon with her.

Aerith put the spray part of the bottle towards her nose, taking in the calming lavender scent. This will be a new addition to her secret 'cosmetic' collection, she giggled at the thought. She sprayed a little in the air and stepped into the invisible flowery scented field, coating herself with the purple blossom's aroma. Cloud watched as she indulge herself with her new toy, a smile formed on his lips at the idea of how little it takes to make this girl happy.

They continued to head towards the southeast part of the market. Aerith received many glances from bypassing men, one of them even stopped and dropped open his jaw. Cloud lowered his eyebrows, he felt uneasy these men are completely ignoring the fact that he is right beside her. It was clear that she was accompanying him, but these men are treating him as if he was invisible. "Better do this quick" he grabbed the young woman's hand dragging her to quicken her pace. He hides her behind him, saving her from bypassing men's mental sexual assaults.

"Right..." She nodded, feeling the temperature on her cheek rise at his touch. They two made their way passed the item store, entering an alley.

"Hey buddy" a dark man in a white beater said with his arms open, trying to stop Cloud.

The two stopped, curious at what the dark man wants.

"Please, I can't decide. I just can't. I respect her too much. Please do me a favor" the dark stranger begged.

"What are you talking about?" Aerith asked, she looks up from behind Cloud's shoulder.

"Oh, you have a girlfriend? Sorry lady, my bad. Please don't get mad"

Cloud blushed at this comment. "um… She's not… my girlfriend", he scratched the back of his head.

"No? Oh good. Look you seem like a decent man. Please take this, and keep it away from me" he took out a shiny membership card from his wallet.

The card is labelled "HoneyBee Inn VIP membership", on the upper right corner is a picture of a busty women dressed in a bumblebee costume, striking a provocative pose. The blonde haired man's eyes widen, the name of the place rang a bell in his head, he knows exactly what this is. In his hand is every man's fantasy, well, men who are into this kinda thing.

"Let me see!" The woman in pink grabbed the card from the stranger's hand. "What is this?"

"This is my greatest treasure! VIP membership card to HoneyBee Inn. It is just around the corner, man they have the hottest babes. They do kinky things with honey…. But no more, no more! I've got to straighten up! Be a better man!" the stranger continues to blabber.

Aerith blushed slightly after learning what this means.

"You seem like a nice guy, I can tell by the way you handle the pink lady. Please, just keep the card away from me and don't let it fall onto the hands of some asshole!" The dark man said, he waved and ran towards the opposite direction of the HoneyBee Inn, disappearing into the crowd. The two stood there trying to reckon what had just happened.

"Cloud, this is it! This is our answer! There must be someone at the HoneyBee Inn who can put on make up for you!"

"You do know what this means right? We are about to enter the red light district. Do you have any idea what goes on inside?"

"I'm a big girl you know? Let's go." Aerith giggled.

The two reached the HoneyBee Inn. The building is surrounded by lights, two bumble bee lanterns hung beside the company logo. A bouncer stood by the door with his arms crossed, observing the three man roaming by the entrance.

As the two approaches, the three men who was roaming by the entrance quickly took notice of Aerith. Ignoring the blonde man, the three men approach her, 'woman-hungry' written all over their faces.

"What a hottie! What's your name little lady?" The man in the blue Shinra uniform inquired.

"Pink is my favorite color too!" said the man with red spikey hair.

"Are you a new girl at the HoneyBee Inn? Ohhhh please say yes!" a man in dark sunglasses asked.

The three strange man got closer, invading the flower girl's personal space. Aerith felt a little uneasy.

"Back off" Cloud demanded sternly. He is angry, men here are even more animalistic than those from the market. He shoved the guy in Shinra uniform by his headgear, causing the man in blue to fall flat onto the dirt. His ice cold eyes glared at the other two. "I will not repeat myself" threatening them with a low tone to match his death glare. The two remaining men gulped and walked back to the corner by the inn, the message was clear.

"Oh my" Aerith covered her mouth in surprise at the ex soldier's reaction.

"Hey now, there are no need for violence these three are not bad people. They are just very bad with women" The bouncer tells Cloud. "What are you doing here with a chick anyways? This is a gentlemen's club, membership only of course"

"I have a membership card" Cloud showed the bouncer his pass. The bouncer nodded, he stepped to the side giving Cloud approval to enter. "Guess I have to go in to complete my disguise". Cloud shrugged to Aerith, scratching the back of his head.

Aerith giggled. "I'll be waiting here, remember, you are here to get pretty. Don't have too much fun"

Cloud nodded. He looked back at the three man, "If any of you touch her, I will—", he stopped midway through his sentence, realizing what he is saying. _When did I become this possessive? _He shook his head and glanced at Aerith. "Be careful, call for me if anything happens", he left her with a smile and entered the HoneyBee Inn.

"Man, your boyfriend has some serious issues" The bouncer chuckled.

"Yup" Aerith smiled as she watch the ex-soldier in purple disappear into the building, she could feel her heart beating.

Oxoxoxoxox

Hello! The wall market scene is taking longer than I thought, so I will end it here. Just a FYI, I'm not going to be writing the whole ffvii story line, just scenes that I'm in the mood for. Thank you for reading - kz


	4. The Man She Calls For

**Chapter 4**

An hour has passed, and Cloud has finally stepped out of the HoneyBee Inn. First thing on his agenda is to find Aerith, whom he left outside of the inn. His blue eyes scans the entrance for the pink lady who accompanied him here. He noticed her by the side of the building, surrounded by the three desperate men from earlier. _I can't leave this girl alone for a moment, _"Hey get outta here", he said to the three.

The three man froze upon hearing the blonde ex soldier's return. Slowly, they turned to face him, ready to accept their punishment for not leaving the flower girl alone, but something is different. His aura is different, he doesn't look so tough anymore. The violent ex-soldier has returned from the HoneyBee Inn and is now wearing glittery brown eye shadow; his false eyelashes flutter like butterfly wings, salmon pink matte lipstick covered his lips. The jaws on the three man dropped, they are speechless. One of the fellow finally broke the silence, "This is what you are into?" the man with red spikey hair asked Aerith, finger pointing to the poor ex soldier.

Aerith giggled at the sight. "Yup", she winked at Cloud.

Cloud looked away, there are only a handful of people in this world that he would rather die than to be seen with makeup, and yet, one is standing right in front of him. He felt as if all his masculinity has been stripped away. He wants to bury his colorful face, and never see light again. "Let's go", he grabbed Aerith's wrist, pulling her away from the men. "Did they do anything to you?"

"No man, she sold us flowers. She said she only has eyes for you" the man in sunglasses answered for Aerith, he looks disappointed.

"Lucky bastard, how did this weirdo get a girl like you? He even went in the HoneyBee Inn, how can you be alright with that?"

The flower girl with a hint of pink on her cheeks, brought her lips to Cloud's ear and whispered, "I said it to drive them away only…" She placed her index finger on her lips. _Shhhh,_ she signaled.

Her breath lingered in Cloud's ear even after it parted. The warm sensation brought a smile to his face, "I'm just glad you're alright", he patted her head, feeling her soft hair. "Let's get back to the boutique".

* * *

The two made their way back to the boutique. Cloud is in the change room, trying to figure out how to put on his new silk dress. "How the heck?" he said to himself. Putting on a woman's dress is a game of tetris, there are odds and ends that he doesn't know what to do with.

"Do you need help?" the young woman in pink asked as she pulled the curtain to his change room, clueless to what may be happening behind the screen. She stood frozen at the sight of his bare muscular back, causing her face to turn red. This is the first time she has seen a man's naked back, the male body is a mystery to many girls, and Aerith, happens to be a very curious one.

Cloud turned his head to find an embarrassed Aerith behind him. He wanted to tease her innocence, she looks like steam will start escaping her scalp and into the air above her head. The corner of his lips curve up as he takes her gaze as a compliment.

The young women covered her green eyes with her hands. "I thought you might need help".

"I think I finally figured this out. Get the zipper for me"

"Right", she gulped and uncovered her eyes to confront his bare back again. His muscles are so distinct; it looked like each muscle has marked their own territory on the man's back with a pencil. She also took notice of the scars, battle scars. Most of the scars look as though it was by a sharp blade, perhaps the enemy was welding a sword? There are a few near his right shoulder that looks to her like bullet wounds. She traced her fingers over the dark marks, feeling the bumps on her fingertips. If one of the bullets had hit him a little closer to the center, he wouldn't be standing here. Is this what soldiers have to go through? Cloud is lucky none of the damage hit his vitals._ Zack... What about your wounds?_

Aerith shook her head, this is no time to ponder about the past, concentrate on the present. We need to find Tifa! She helped him zip up the purple dress.

"Thanks" Cloud then put on his blonde wig and diamond tiara. He stepped out of the change room and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes widen upon seeing the person in the mirror. _Oh shit, I look cute. _His hair is in two pigtails, his long purple dress was equipped with hidden inserts to add volume to his chest and rear, giving him a curvy figure. In fact, he looks even curvier than Tifa! He is not proud. He watched the blonde chick in the mirror frown in disgust.

"You look so cute!" Aerith giggled.

The store owner's daughter whistled at the poor boy, objectifying him, watching him like a piece of meat- ready to devour.

"I think I just found a new hobby, from now on I will make dresses for men!" The store owner declared. "I'm so happy I got my motivation back, this dress is on me. Young lady, you may choose something for yourself too, it is on me" The owner smiled to Aerith.

"I want to wear something cute too!" She clasped her hands together excitedly when she noticed a red dress on a mannequin. "That one", she took the dress off the display and entered the dressing room.

The sound of Aerith taking off and dropping articles of her pink outfit can be heard from the other side of the curtain separating her from Cloud. Upon listening to the sound effect, a picture of the flower girl exposing her fair skin normally covered beneath her modest clothing appeared in his head, Cloud felt his face burn up. He shook his head, trying his best to air out the heat and hopefully break apart the inappropriate picture in his mind. The store owner grinned, entertained by his innocence.

A minute later, Aerith stepped out in her new dress. She distracted Cloud from his thought and left him staring in disbelieve at how perfect she looks. This red formal tube dress wraps around her bust and waist like a glove, showing a bit of cleavage, just enough to tease the blonde man and make him wonder what magic are beneath that thin layer of red fabric. The dress is not too long nor too short, just covering her knee, showing off a little more legs than her usual outfit. The shiny fabric glimmers with her movement, making her glow like a brilliant ruby. This dress is the perfect combination of sexy and elegance, description that matches her flawlessly.

_But something is missing... _She watched her reflection in the mirror, analyzing what it is she needs to complete her look. Then, as though a bright light bulb appeared above her head, she figured it out. Cloud watched as she unties her pink ribbon, letting down her wavy brown hair. The long curls flowed down her back, adding more femininity to her presence, and her final look is now complete.

Just as Cloud felt the young woman in front of him cannot get any more perfect, she managed to top it. Her beauty made him forget his mission and why he is dressed as a girl in the first place. In the young man's eyes, Aerith twist and turn in slow motion, bringing movement to her long hair and dress, she is shining. Cloud finally understood what it means to have his breath taken away.

"How do I look?" She turned around to ask her audience.

"..."

It seems Cloud was not the only one left lost for words.

"You guys are no fun" she pouted. Aerith added her final touch by applying the lavender scented perfume, she even sprayed some on Cloud. Of course he didn't even noticed, he was too busy looking at the beautiful woman in the red dress. "Shall we go?" She asked Cloud with a smile, snapping him back to reality.

* * *

"Hey, this is the friend I was talking about, her name is Clou- Claudia. She is interested in meeting Mr. Corneo too." The woman in the glimmering red dress introduced the tall blonde beauty to the guard in front of Don Corneo's mansion. Aerith went behind Cloud, showing off his new look to the man by the entrance.

Cloud flashed a forced smile to the guard.

The guard examines 'Claudia' from head to toe mischievously, "Man your friend is hot too! You two passed, go on in. Waiting room is up the stairs to the far left"

Aerith giggled at the scene. "We did it", she whispered to her companion and walked passed him entering the mansion. Cloud slowly followed, he could feel the guard eyeing his behind. Oh, how he wants to cast a blind spell on him and beat him senseless. _Uggh, men. _Cross dressing had already taught the blonde haired man to appreciate women more; _they have to put up with some dirty crap._

The two stood in the empty lobby until the front door is completely closed behind them. Immediately, Cloud made his way to the waiting room. The interior of the mansion is nothing like they have seen. Walls are painted gold, paired with red Victorian wall papers. Treasure boxes of various colors can be found in each corner of the lobby. East Asian influenced arches are hung above every door. Whoever this Don Corneo guy is, it is clear he is filthy rich, and he is a very bad interior designer.

Cloud reached the far left room on the second level, and ran down the flight of stairs to the waiting room. He felt relief taken over his body when he saw a long haired woman, back towards him. She is wearing a tight little blue dress, exposing her firm legs. Tifa is the type of girl you can point out even with a paper bag over her head. When God made her, he slapped on more material on her feminine parts. If Tifa is a number, she would be an 8. Let's just say, Cloud knew the woman standing there was Tifa, even without seeing her face. "Tifa".

The young woman in blue turned to face the person who called her name. Her ruby eyes starred directly into Cloud's. He remember seeing those eyes before he fell into Aerith's church. "Umm… Who are you?" Tifa asked.

And it hits him… He felt a gust of heat wave hit him. Cloud had forgotten he was disguised as a girl to get into the mansion, not only that, his face is literally painted with all sorts of color. _Shit. _He is so embarrassed, he needs to hide. But where?! With nothing he can use to hide his entire being, Cloud dashed to the nearest corner like a berserk Chocobo, turning his back to the woman in blue. _Shit shit shit, way to look manly dressed as a girl… _he cursed himself.

By this time, Aerith too has reached the waiting room. Tifa's eyes was immediately drawn to the woman in red, forgetting the blonde haired lady by the corner. The woman with the ruby eyes remembered seeing those long wavy brown hair and her petite form… she was in his arms. "You were that girl. You were with Cloud at the park in Sector 6", Tifa said uncomfortably while observing the person in front of her. She can smell her lavender scented perfume.

Aerith's face turned red as she recall what she was doing with Cloud the moment Tifa appeared in the buggy. She can tell by Tifa's tone that she is jealous, perhaps even upset. Although Cloud told her Tifa is not his girlfriend back at her house, Tifa's reaction is telling her that they are definitely more than friends. Aerith's heart felt heavy at the thought that she may have hurt this girl unintentionally. _"_Right, and you must be Tifa".

"How do you know my name?"

"Cloud, he told me about you", the flower girl tried to explain. "I was taking him to Sector 7, until we saw you on the buggy and we followed you here…" she is beginning to feel tense.

"So you were helping him… thank you", Tifa said as she runs her fingers down her dark hair uncomfortably. Nervousness written all over her face at the sight of her new rival.

There are certainly bit of tension between the two young women, this makes Aerith question whether or not Cloud was lying about them not being a couple_. Have I… gotten close to another girl's boyfriend? I need to fix this, _"He cares about you a lot, you must be a very special lady to him" she smiled.

"It is not like that, we are just childhood friends." Tifa blurted nervously. Though she must admit, Aerith's last comment did make her heart smile.

Aerith tilted her head in confusion, "You're not his girlfriend?"

The woman in blue blushed slightly. "Of – of course not!"

_She's not very honest with her feelings… _Aerith giggled at her own thought. "I'm Aerith. My flower bed at the church saved Cloud from his fall, and that's how I met him. Nice to meet you" The flower girl shook her new friend and rival's hand with a smile.

"Nice to meet you Aerith, say, where is Cloud now?"

_*cough*_

The two ladies noticed the blonde woman by the corner, she is choking on air, and dark clouds surrounds her. Aerith chuckled at the sight. "Poor Cloud, I didn't know you were hiding there."

"Cloud?", Tifa approached the blonde haired woman by the corner and peeks at his face. "Oh my! " Tifa jumped in surprise, she cannot believe her eyes. "Cloud, why did you –!?"

"HEY LADIES! MR. CORNEO IS READY TO INTERVIEW ALL THREE OF YOU! MEET IN NEXT ROOM IN FIVE MINUTES!" one of Don Corneo's guards screamed from the top of the stairs, he did not even bother going down to escort the ladies.

"We don't have much time", Aerith said immediately. "Cloud…"

Cloud nodded to Aerith in agreement, this is not the time to be embarrassed, "Tifa, let's get out of here", he turned to face his childhood friend.

"I… I can't". Tifa said with her head down. "I need to get chosen tonight"

The ex-soldier's eyes widen at her words. "What do you mean?"

The dark haired woman looks to Aerith's direction uncomfortably.

"Ahem, I'll go and plug my ear by the corner" The young woman in the red dress went to the corner that was previously occupied by Cloud, she held both hands up, covering her ears.

"Cloud, I'm glad you are okay." Tifa looked softly into Cloud's eyes, happy to see him again. She wants to hug him, and hold him in her arms, just to make sure he is real. But that is not right, that is not who she is. Tifa knew her feelings deep down, but she always has trouble being honest about her emotions externally. That is why, for now, just having him standing in front of her is enough. She is just glad he is alive and so close to her. He is so close, she could smell him… and that is when she realized he is carrying the same lavender scent as Aerith…

The ex-soldier nodded, "Glad you are okay too. So let me know what happened".

"When we got back from the Sector 5 reactor, we saw a weird man" Tifa gently scratched the tip of her nose, the fragrance is starting to irritate her, not knowing if it was allergy or something that stems from within her head… "Barret caught him and squeezed some information out of him" she continued.

"That's when the Don's name popped up?" He finished the sentence for her.

"Right, but something's been bothering me, I think Sector 7 may be in trouble. I want to go straight to the source and get the whole story", Tifa sighed, _here comes the odd part…_"Corneo is looking for a bride… every night, he chooses one of three girls and then… he…", she paused, too embarrassed to finish the sentence. "Anyway, I have to be the girl for tonight! That way, I can get more information out of him!"

"Sorry, but I overheard." Aerith interrupted the two. "If you know the other two girls, there's no problem, right?" _That's it, I can help Tifa this way! _

It didn't take a moment for Cloud to figure out what Aerith is scheming. "No Aerith! I can't involve you!" he blurted.

"And it is okay to put Tifa in danger?" The flower girl asked sternly, her hands on her hips.

"No, I don't want to put Tifa in danger too"

Aerith's idea sparked like fireworks in Tifa's head. It was the perfect idea, this will increase the chances of getting information out of Don Corneo's mouth regardless who he chooses. Rumors has it that Corneo is a total leech, the biggest pervert in all of Midgar. With that in mind, she does feel a little guilty getting Aerith involved, "The Don has no combat experience, but he is no gentlemen either. Are you sure it is alright, Ms Aerith?" Tifa asked to confirm.

The woman in red nodded with a smile, "Call me Aerith".

Cloud shook his head in defeat, he knew the ladies are not going to listen to his protest. At this point, he could only try his best to protect them from harm. In his experience, whenever he is against Tifa doing something dangerous, she would just turn around and does it anyways. And with Aerith, she has the ability to get him to do things he doesn't want to do, for example, dressing up as a woman… "I guess I don't need to ask, but the third girl is me, right?"

The two young women looked at each other and giggled. Tifa and Aerith, now friends, has already found one thing they have in common without having to announce it. The friends made their way to Cloud's side, each holding a hand of his and drags him to quicken his pace up the stairs. "There was really no need to ask" they both said together, as they head towards Don Corneo's room.

"Jeessh, women. Takes them so long to get ready" The guard opened the door to the interview room, letting the three bridal candidates enter. "Line up in front of the Don", he ordered.

Cloud entered the room first, he noticed a large desk made of cherry red wood in the center, and behind it is an overweight man in a red robe. The man is clearly balding, with a few strands of blonde hair remaining near the center of his head, two guards stands behind him. _That must be Don Corneo._

Aerith made her way to Cloud's left side, and Tifa to his right. The three stood still, watching the balding man jump in excitement at tonight's selections.

"Good! Splendid! Tonight will be a toughie!" Don Corneo shouted in ecstasy as he approach the ladies. "I need to examine further". His eyes travelled from left to right, not sure where to start and end. "Let's start with the sexy one!" he stopped at Tifa. "You have a pretty face and an incredible body… oh oh oh, I would love to play with those".

Tifa stood still as the overweight bald headed man examines her visually, his squinty eyes would occasionally stop to stare at her chest. She is used to man on the street staring at her chest, but so far she have never seen someone look at them with such depth and detail, not even her doctor during annual body check-ups. Suddenly, she wish she wore a sweater instead of a tiny blue dress.

Cloud felt bad that he could only watch as Tifa gets harassed by the bald man's dirty eyes, but if the man does beyond look and goes for a grab, he swear, he will throw a punch at him.

"Gross" Aerith silently let out under her breath as she watch Don Corneo eye-rape Tifa.

"Who said that?" The bald man turned, "Was it you?" he points to Aerith.

Aerith's body stiffens, she wants to kick herself for not keeping her thoughts contained in her head. Don Corneo made his way to her, this time, it is Aerith's turn. "Oh oh oh, you are a looker little one! Were you jealous I was looking at another woman? Woman with a little jealousy are so cute!"

Aerith looks down uncomfortably at his comment. Don held out his meaty index finger, and lifted her chin, giving him a better view of her features. "Fabulous! So innocent! So pure!", each comment he made brought a deeper shade of red to her face. Excitement took over the Don at the sight of Aerith's blushing cheeks, "Like my first love!" Corneo reached for her brown hair, he takes a sniff, his nose wiggles as he inhales. "You smell like flowers, I love it". The bald man's face lit up as he move from side to side, making sure he got every single detail of the woman's face. His lips curved up mischievously.

Aerith knows where this is going, the Don is clearly interested in her, it is up to her to retrieve the information now. She nods at Cloud and Tifa. "Mr. Don, let's –"

"Hey Don, I smell like flowers too" The blonde man beside Aerith interrupted. _Pick me damnit!_ Cloud clenched his fist, he has had enough of this perverted Don Corneo guy harassing his friends, and the thought of him taking Aerith to the back room is just … he doesn't even want to imagine. He can't let it happen.

Tifa and Aerith are shocked at the comment Cloud has just made.

"Oh oh oh, have I neglected you? I love a woman with a bit of attitude" Don Corneo made his way in front of Cloud. "What magnificent eyes you have", Don continues to examine the man disguised as a woman. "Oh my, what muscles you've got. Like a healthy girl should be". Cloud watch the overweight man in front of him move side to side, inspecting his features like he did to Aerith.

_Just choose me damnit! _Cloud cursed the pervert with his mind.

"I've made up my mind!" Don Corneo raise a fist up in the air, striking a victory pose. "My companion for tonight will be…."

Cloud watched Don's eye travelled one last time from right to left…

"This slender little girl!" He grabbed Aerith's hand. "You are mine tonight!"

That is it, Cloud is ready to beat the tiny chubby man up, if only Don had chosen him, things could've been easier. Tifa, able to see through Cloud, placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. "Not yet" she whispered. Tifa made eye contact with Aerith, who nodded immediately, understanding what she has to do.

"You've got great taste Don" Aerith played along.

"Oh Oh Oh, great. My room is in the back, let's go my pretty" the bald man drags his selected candidate to the room behind. Cloud watch as the other man drags the beautiful flower girl to the back. "Guards, you guys can have the other ladies"

"Thanks sir!"

"Yes sir!"

Aerith glanced back, her green eyes caught his blue, and she smiled slightly, reassuring the worried ex-soldier that everything will be alright. Although this is simply a mission and nothing life threatening will probably happen, Cloud couldn't help but felt as if something precious has been stolen from him. '_Wait for me__', h_e mouthed to Aerith. He clenched his fist as they disappeared into the room at the back.

* * *

Aerith stepped into Don Corneo's room. A king sized bed is placed in the center, the Chinese character 'sky' is printed on his comforter, a large lantern is placed by the corner. Judging by the lack of furniture in this room, it is clear only one thing goes on in here…

The bald headed man belly flop on to his bed, "Oh Oh oh, have a seat my love" he pats the corner of the bed, signaling Aerith to sit. "Come come, don't be so shy"

"yes…", she smooth the wrinkles off her dress and sat down slowly, keeping as much distance as she can from the man.

"How would you like to do it my love?" Corneo is used to getting straight to the topic.

"Do- Do it?" Aerith's face turned a shade of red. "Umm, Mr. Don" Argh, how is she going to change the topic and get him to spill the information Tifa is looking for. "The thing is, I want you to explain something to me first".

The bald man smiled mischievously, taking her question the wrong way "Of course, of course. A first timer, I see".

_Is sex all this man thinks about?! _"No, that is not what I mean sir".

He begins to untie his robe. "I can tell when I see one", he grinned. "I will take you through it slowly, step by step". He thrusts his hips back and forth repeatedly, displaying his favorite sex position. His stomach bounces with each thrust.

Aerith's eyes widen in surprise. "No, that is not what I mean, listen I-".

"What do you mean then? I can't wait any longer" he place a hand on her shoulder. The contact of his rough meaty hands on her bare shoulder sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine. "I will be gentle, now let daddy see what is underneath this pretty red dress". Don begin to trace his fingers down her back stopping at the zipper behind her dress.

'Zzzzzip', Aerith suddenly heard the metallic hissing sound of her zippers disconnecting, she could feel her red dress loosen.

"What? No!" Aerith screamed in surprise. "Get away!" she stood up, holding onto her dress tightly.

"What do you mean? Stop acting shy and get back on the bed honey" Don continued, this time, his voice was stern and serious. He got up to grab her arm and threw her on the bed.

Even as she fell onto the bed, Aerith held on tight to her loosened dress. She feels vulnerable, no weapons nor materias to protect herself. She watch the man by the bedside loosen his belt, she trembles in fear as his hand search for the button on his trouser, his eyes never left her for even a split second. The poor woman does not want to stay another minute in this room. She tries to make a dash for the door, but Don quickly pulled her back on the bed by her hair, causing Aerith to scream in pain.

Tears start to slide down her cheeks as she lay on the king sized mattress. _Why isn't Cloud here? What if Cloud and Tifa doesn't come?_ But again, she has only known Cloud for a few days, and Tifa even less. Why would they care? Cloud is probably with Tifa right now, escaping the mansion. _If I fail today, they can just come back tomorrow to try again with Don Corneo. _Who cares what happens to the flower girl. 'He' always tell her she trust strangers too easily. _Zack… If only you are here… _She wants to scream out his name.

"Zack…" Aerith said softly underneath her cries. "Zack…. Zack….. Zack…." She has no idea why she is even calling his name, he's gone.

"Who is Zack honey? Whoever he is, he is not coming. You should be calling my name", Don Corneo grinned. "You're going to be my woman after tonight. Now why don't you call out daddy's name?"

"…"_He is not coming… who can I call for?_

"Whose name will you call? Just be good, and I promise to be gentle" The bald headed man got closer to the helpless girl.

"Clo—", She sobs.

"Who?" Don holds a hand to his ear.

"Cloud!" she screamed.

The man shook his head, "wrong answer, now I can't be gentle", the man grabbed both her wrist with one hand, and pins them down above Aerith's head. She continues to cry as she struggles to loosen his grip. Using his free hand, he slowly lift her red dress up, exposing her thighs… then…

BANG! The door slammed opened.

"Aerith!" The blonde ex-soldier kicked opened the door, buster sword in his grip. He is panting, he did not get a break since escaping the guard's resting area. Cloud is now in his usual purple SOLDIER uniform.

The ex soldier's eyes widened as he takes in the visual in front of him. Her eyes are red and tears streaming down her face. Her usual brown wavy curls are a mess, strands of hair stuck on her cheeks from her tears. The red dress she had happily picked out is now wrinkled and loosened. The fair smooth skin on her thigh and the side of her white cotton pantie are exposed. Cloud felt himself heat up in rage, his blue eyes burned in flames. Don Corneo is on top of HIS flower girl, holding her down, his trouser is below his knee, revealing his heart patterned boxer shamelessly. The ex soldier felt his hand shake at the weight of his sword as he imagines what Don Corneo was doing to Aerith in his absence.

"Clou—Cloud!" Aerith cried out again, more tears formed in the emerald eyes that are looking directly into his. The sound of her voice calling his name sent vibrations down Cloud's ears. The pulsation travelled down his guts, ripping apart his heart along the way.

The blonde man wants to scream at the Don, call him a fucking asshole, but no words came out. Instead, he decided to let his fist deliver the message, finishing him off with a swing of his buster sword would be too humane. Cloud clenched his teeth as he tackled Corneo, causing the bald man to fall off the bed and to the ground. He grabbed the collar of his red robe and punched Don in the face, staining his leather glove in red. Don Corneo cried in pain, blood pouring out of his nose. _Not yet, _He continues to punch the man's meaty face, this time with his left fist. _Not yet, your not off the hook yet! _The blonde haired ex-soldier is now on rampage, alternating hands with every hit. _Not yet. Not yet. Not yet… _and he couldn't stop. The helpless man is covered in blood, his two front teeth has already fallen off, but it is still not enough to satisfy Cloud. Putting all his strength into his fist at every blow, he knocked the shameless man out of his senses. _Not yet! I haven't punished you enough yet! _

Tifa finally made it to the scene, "Aerith", she covered her mouth in shock seeing Aerith on the bed, holding on tightly to her dress. She also noticed Cloud and Don on the floor. Blood covered Corneo's face beyond recognition, his eyes are half closed, and mouth dropped open. "Stop! You'll kill him!" She ran to Cloud.

"He is just knocked out. This is nothing a phoenix down cannot fix!" Cloud wants to throw another punch, but Tifa threw her arms around him, begging him to stop. "Let go, Tifa", he demanded, trying his best to hold back from pushing her away.

"Cloud please… stop" Tifa pleaded. "If you keep beating him, he will die. Please, for sector 7, for me…" she continues to hold the man. "Breathe…" she said to Cloud as she held on tight. Seeing Cloud like this is breaking her heart, but she has to been strong and get it together. Cloud is on rampage and Aerith is crying, it is up to her to fix the situation and get everything rolling again.

A few moments later, Cloud's breathing has returned to normal. "Sorry Tifa", he said softly, turning slightly to meet her eyes. "Sorry", he apologized again. Tifa nodded, she can tell from his eyes that the Cloud she knew has returned, she released the ex-soldier in her arms. Upon letting Cloud go, she immediately grabs the phoenix down in her pocket to aid the bloody man.

Cloud redirected his attention to the flower girl on the bed. "Aerith".

"Cloud", she sat up, tears still streaming down her face. "I was so scared".

"Everything is alright now. I said I will protect you" Cloud said with a tender smile. He gently pull the strands of wet hair away from Aerith's face, revealing the beautiful eyes he has come to care deeply for.

"Cloud, you came. You came when I called for you" Aerith sobbed as she flew into his arms, hugging him tightly, not caring whether her dress is falling off or not. She looks up at her hero with her tear filled eyes, Thank you". She forced a smile on her lips, liquid still rolling down her cheeks.

Cloud smiled back, how he came to care so much for this girl? He doesn't know. All he wants to do now is to hold onto her tightly, and not let anything bad happen to her. _I don't want to see you cry again. _He gently stroke the back of Aerith's head and pressed his lips on her forehead, kissing away the frightening event that just took place. _Sorry Tifa, sorry,_ he wanted to say again.

"Ahem" Tifa coughed uncomfortably, "Sorry for interrupting", she narrowed her eyes, not wanting to see the love birds sitting on the bed. "I used a phoenix down on Don Corneo". Cloud and Aerith let go of each other, their attention turned to the awakened bloody man on the floor. "Let's start the questioning".

* * *

xoxoxoxoxo

Author's notes:

A much longer chapter, but at least I got the wall market scene out of the way, next I want to go directly to the Shinra Building scene where Aerith gets kidnapped. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I got to make Cloud jealous and made him aware of his feelings. Please review, if you are reading. It is difficult to motivate myself to write when I don't know what the readers are thinking.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading.


	5. The Wounded Sleeping Prince

**Chapter 5**

Floor 68 – Shinra Building – Specimen Containment Unit.

A young lady with shoulder length auburn colored hair enters the Specimen Containment room, she is wearing her usual black suit, a Turks' uniform. In her hand is a plate of pepperoni pizza she bought from the Shinra cafeteria. Some of the more animalistic specimens sharing the floor growled at her presence, for interrupting their slumber. Walking pass all the other subjects confined within cages and glass pods, she made her way towards the dark haired man on the trolley bed, where she last saw him yesterday.

"…"

"Still not up eh?" she said to the unconscious man lying on the carbon fiber trolley, he is in a green gown, the same gown Hojo make all his human subject wears, life support equipment surrounds him. _Why am I not surprised?_ She silently thought to herself. The dark haired man has a scar in the shape of an x on his left cheek, his face is pale from the lack of nutrition. She takes a bite of the pizza as she grabs the report hanging on the end of the table. "Let's see what updates Professor Hojo has on you"

"001036 – Zack Fair" she begins to read the notes from the report out loud. "Week 15 – subject still unconscious. Wounds 83% recovered. Subject still in a coma with REM sleep activities– still no signs of awakening. Lowest heart rate reported this week 40. Blood sample 20 normal, muscle mass lost 65% to date. Subject has no reaction to pain or stimuli – methods tested: heat, electricity. Chances of full recovery 8%", the auburn haired woman shook her head. "He burnt and electrocuted you this time? Zack, you need to wake up before Hojo starts cutting you up into pieces", she said to the sleeping man.

"Cissnei! What did I say about eating in the lab?!" a man in a white lab coat and glasses entered the room, snapping at the young woman. All the test animals hiss and growls at his presence.

"Professor Hojo", she quickly toss the remaining pizza in the garbage can near the table. "Sorry, I brought it just in case Zack wakes up".

Hojo stares at the sleeping prince connected to his equipments. "Zack again, I agreed to let you visit only because of your status as a Turk. I'm beginning to think you are abusing your position, there are no reason for you to visit every day." he snapped at Cissnei.

It is true, as soon as news reached Cissnei that he will be taken in by Professor Hojo as subject, she has made every excuse to come to the 68th floor. She even tried to make petty conversation with Hojo in order to learn more about Zack's condition, something very out of her character. Deep down, she despise Hojo, for using Zack as a subject 4 years ago, he was the reason why all of Shinra's Infantrymen stood at the skirt of Midgar that day… they had him completely surrounded and outnumbered... But now is not the time to dwell on the past, she needs Hojo and his resources to keep him alive.

It all happened over three months ago, when the Turks failed to reach Zack in time outside of Midgar. By the time they reached the dark haired Soldier operative, he was fully covered in bullet wounds, his heart barely beating, the Turks had originally planned to let the man rest in peace. Until they received a call from Professor Hojo urging them to bring Zack back to his lab. He had witnessed the young man's physical capabilities 4 years ago, in addition, he survived a high level of mako treatment without getting poisoned and his body reacted positively to Jenova cells. What is the most remarkable is that he awaken from his cryogenic sleep state. All three are rare occurrences in his research career, this Soldier operative, his limit has no bounds. Hojo at the time, could just imagine the various experiments he can use him for, he decided that Zack's body is too good of a test subject to pass down.

"It—It is my responsibility to keep him under surveillance", she said with a straight face, but that was a lie, the assignment of keeping Zack under surveillance was terminated long ago.

Hojo grabs the report from her hand, "Week 15 already" he sighed in disappointment as he reviews his scribbly handwriting. "I'm beginning to lose interest in this subject"

"What do you mean? This is Zack, his body can withstand any of your projects." Cissnei lied, again. It is against her professionalism to lie to a senior of the company, but she has done it many times for Zack already, what harm will another lie do? She needs to keep Hojo interested in him, in order to keep him alive. She knows what happens to test subjects Hojo loses interest in.

_Beep Beep Beep. _The machine by Zack's stilled body begins to alarm loudly, a sign to change his intravenous fluids.

"You've seen me done this millions of times, be a dear and get me a new one" Hojo asked the young Turk.

Cissnei nodded, she headed towards the medical supplies storage by the other end of the room and grabbed a new bag of I.V. She reads the label to make sure it is the normal saline, 9 grams of sodium chloride Hojo generally uses. She made her way back to the dark haired man and hung the new bag full of intravenous fluids on the I.V. stand. Skillfully, she connects the bag of fluids to the clear tube joint to Zack's veins. She has done this a few times already when Hojo is not in the room.

"You are a fast learner", Hojo said, not as fast of a learner than himself, of course.

"Thank you Sir" she saluted.

Hojo's attention turned back to the unconscious man, he shook his head, "What a waste of resources, every day he is losing more muscles and strength. I need him conscious for what I have planned. Even if he wakes up now, his body may no longer survive my research". He turned his back at the young Turk, "like injecting my precious work into a dead host" he frowns at the idea of wasting any more of his valuable capitals on the lifeless Soldier laying on the table before him.

_No… _She needs to say something, anything… "He will wake up from the coma. I know it"

"I will not wait for him to wake up, if he doesn't want to. It doesn't matter anymore, I've made up my mind. Tomorrow, I will send someone to dispose of him", the professor sighs, "What a waste of my time".

"But –" But what? What can she do? Hojo is the one with the knowledge and resources, he was the one who removed all the bullet fragments and stitched him up. He was the one who injected Zack with boosters when his heart was failing. If it wasn't for Hojo, the former Soldier would've been dead over three months ago. She had originally planned on helping him escape as soon as he recovers, but never has it cross her mind that the man would fall into a coma. Cissnei bit her lips, angry at herself for not being able to do anything.

"Besides, I have news that a very interesting subject is on her way here. I need to dispose this man to free up some time from my schedule", his eyes widened, a large grin formed on his face. "A Cetra". He said excitedly to Cissnei, as if she actually has an interest in his work, "She is the daughter of Professor Gast, what is her name again?" The professor's large forehead wrinkled as he tries to recall the last remaining Cetra's name.

"Ahh, Aerith"

_Thump._

'_Do-do-do.' _In the background, an unusual pattern appeared on the heart rate monitor connected to Zack.

Too excited about his incoming specimen, Hojo paid no attention to the silent music of his heart rate monitor machine, "I can't wait!" The professor said as he made his way to the elevator leaving Cissnei and his many specimens.

"So she is becoming an experiment too" The auburn haired woman sighs, _Now what? _She closed her eyes reminiscing on the times she spent 'watching' over Zack, he always have the phone glued to his ear, talking to Aerith. It used to annoy her so much… Maybe this is for the best, if Zack dies, he wouldn't know what will happen to Aerith and maybe she can stop her regular visits and concentrate on serving Shinra 100% again as a Turk.

Cissnei turned her attention back to the sleeping man on the trolley bed. She strokes his raven hair and watched as Zack's pupils moved underneath his eyelids, his lips slightly curved up. "How can you be having a good dream at a time like this?" She tilts her head.

_Zack… I bet you are dreaming about her right now…_

* * *

Shinra Building – Floor 39 – Helicopter Pad

The young women in pink could feel her wrist burn as the red headed Turk ties a rope tightly around her hands.

"No need to be so rough. She's not going anywhere", the long haired Turk said to his subordinate.

After Don Corneo spilled the information about Shinra's plan to eliminate Avalanche, Cloud, Aerith and Tifa made their way back to Sector 7 through the train graveyard. When they arrived, Avalanche was already in a heated battle with Shinra, many lives were lost, including some of the most valued members of Avalanche. Aerith was assigned the duty of taking care of Marlene, whom she immediately brought back to her home in Sector 5. Unfortunately, she was followed by members of the Turks. They threatened to harm Marlene, if Aerith doesn't cooperate and go back to Shinra with them. With no other available choices, Aerith was forced to cooperate.

Tseng and Reno was with Aerith in the helicopter, she has witnessed the red headed Turk's battle with Cloud and the others through the tiny window. Shortly after the helicopter left the scene she heard a loud 'boom', the sound of the bomb exploding. Though she couldn't see the actual plate falling, she could only imagine the damage and the number of lives lost within Sector 7. The flower girl never stopped glaring at the two Turks the whole trip back to the Shinra Headquarter.

Aerith followed Tseng into the building from the helicopter pad, where a guard stood.

"Take her to Hojo, floor 67, Science department" Tseng commanded the guard in the blue uniform.

"Yes sir" the guard saluted, holding onto Aerith's arm.

"Don't worry, Hojo only wants to interview you. His goal is to find the Promised Land" the long haired senior Turk reassured her.

"I… I don't even know what that is!"

"Stop pretending, you are a Cetra, so you must know" Reno said as he brush his bangs away from his face.

The young woman lowered her eyebrows at Reno. "I hope you can sleep at night, you hurt a lot of innocent people!" Reno is no stranger to her, he is constantly watching over Aerith at the church, keeping her under tight surveillance. There were times when he would even wave and smile at her, but the whole incident at Sector 7 changed her perspective of him.

The red headed man smirked, taking her comment lightly, "You think my life is easy. I'm just trying to make a living", he continued, "If you are good, maybe I will pay you a visit at the lab". He tilts his head to the direction of the elevator, "Now go".

"Sir!" the guard pulled Aerith in the glass elevator. She continued to glare at the red haired man until the metal door to the elevator completely closes.

"Tseng, you think she will be alright with Hojo?" The red headed man asks his senior.

"…"

"Knowing Hojo, there is no way he is only going to interview her. Are you okay with that?"

Tseng closed his eyes as he picture that day at the park, when Zack points his finger at him _'I'm counting on you' he said_. That soldier operative was in love and he left the responsibility of keeping Aerith safe in his hands before he went on his last mission... "Then, I will think of something. I won't let her get hurt. He's counting on me."

"Heh, boss, using Zack as an excuse, I bet you're the one who has a soft spot for the Ancient", Reno flips his flaming red hair again as he tease this leader.

* * *

Aerith stood inside the elevator with the guard. She watched the night scenery through the glass window, wondering if Cloud, Tifa and the others are okay. Events have been happening too fast, she didn't even have the chance stop for a breather. _Cloud, Tifa, I'm sorry I doubted you two back at the mansion… please be safe… _She silently prayed to the dark foggy sky.

_Ding._ They have reached the 67th floor. A strong chemical stench invaded the air in the elevator the second the metal door unseals, Aerith could feel the micro particles in the atmosphere stain her emerald eyes. She noticed a long hallway to the right with many doors along it as she entered the floor. To the left is a room with large open spaces, perhaps that is where the experiments takes place?

"This way" the guard guided her to the last room down the hall. A gold plated tag is mounted on the door, labelled 'Hojo – Head of Science Research Division'. The guard knocks on the door.

"Come in, Come in" an excited voice answered as the door slowly creeks open. A tall man in round glasses opened the door, he has long greasy dark hair tied in a ponytail and devilish smile on his face. "Aerith, welcome" he greeted with a grin, revealing his coffee stained teeth.

The flower girl took a step back, but was pushed forward again by the guard.

"Your work here is done, you may leave" the professor ordered the guard.

"Yes sir" the guard saluted the creepy man, he closed the door behind him, leaving the young woman in pink with Hojo.

Aerith felt uneasy standing next to the man, she remembers him vaguely, as he used to perform experiments on her birth mother Ifalna and herself on this very floor. Hojo expels an eerie aura around his body. He was the villain that appears in her childhood nightmares. She can feel goose bumps forming on her arms and legs.

"Aerith, so we meet again, my you are all grown up".

"What are you going to do to me?"

Hojo laughed loudly, "like father, like daughter. Straight to the point. Then, let me show you", he reached for a pile of paper from his desk joint by multiple paperclips. "This is my plan for you" he licks his finger and begins flipping through. There must be over a 200 pages in this document, the title is labeled 'Cetra – Subject B'.

"What does it mean by subject B?" she asked, her voice shaking, she has a feeling she already know the answer.

Hojo grinned, "You see, this is a continuation of a research project that was never completed. Many years ago, I had my hands on two Ancient subjects. Ifalna, and her daughter, little Aerith", he stops to make a devilish smile. "Ifalna would always volunteer to be the subject of my Cetra experiments. In exchange, I would only conduct minor tests on you, and leave the more… stimulating experiments for her. That woman weeps, but she doesn't cry out at pain, she was every scientist's dream. She was subject A"

Aerith covered her mouth in shock with her shaking hands. "Mother…"

"Of course, as you know. She ran away one day, taking you with her. I was devastated to have lost such an incredible specimen. I waited too long for your return, I knew that Turk was hiding something, it was not easy getting that man to believe me... But my wait is finally over."

Hojo stood beside the flower girl, and continues to flip the pages, presenting his research plan to Aerith. "In here, I've listed everything I want to do to you in order to learn more about the Cetra" He stopped at one of the pages, "I want to learn more about the Promised Land", he flips to another page, "your blood", and another, "your cells", another, "your abilities" and another "your reproductions."… And the skinny creepy man continues, listing endless topics he wishes to explore with Aerith's body. Showing off each page to her, revealing his vivid diagrams, photos and gruesome research methods.

The terrified woman in pink felt her throat tense up as fear overcomes her entire body. Color drained from Aerith's face when she caught glimpses of his plan, she even saw her birth mother's photos. In every photograph, Ifalna wore a different painful expression, expressions she has never seen her birth mother made before. Some of his diagrams involves cutting the subject's stomach open, mating with the subject and injecting her with substances only Hojo would know what it is. Horrified at what this man will do to her, she felt her legs gave in, she felt the walls close in and her vision turned black. _Cloud… _She fell onto the cold clement floor leaving her defenseless and unconscious.

Hojo stood beside Aerith's cold body, "Hmm, have my research plan scared her this much? Such a weakling, regardless, you are an interesting specimen", he reached for the phone on his desk and dialed a few numbers.

"Yes Hojo?"

"Bring a trolley to my office, I need to bring a specimen to the containment unit"

* * *

xoxoxoxoxo

Author's notes

No romance here, but I brought Zack back into the picture! I just finished playing Crisis Core yesterday, and I cried my eyes out. Can't wait to write more about him! I've incorporated a lot of Crisis Core events into this chapter, I hope I didn't confuse those of you who have never played the game. Please review or follow to keep me going :)

Thanks for reading!


	6. Awakening & The Girl Who Betrayed Shinra

**Chapter 6**

Cloud, along with his two comrades, Tifa and Barret have finally made it to the Science Department within the Shinra Building. The journey here was not easy, they had to climb flights after flights of stairs to avoid unnecessary commotions, but they were able to get to this point, undetected.

"That Hojo guy must have kept Aerith somewhere in the Science Department" Barret stated the obvious as they climbed up the stairs.

They three quietly followed the long haired professor to the 67th floor, to a large area where experiments are held, the place is filled with gigantic cargo boxes labelled Midgar Medical Supplies, fragile warnings stamped all over them. The boxes are scattered around a giant glass pod in the center of the room in no particular pattern or order. Cloud, Tifa and Barret hid behind one of the large boxes as they listen in on Professor Hojo's conversation with the person on the intercom.

"I need to get rid of specimen 1036, he is in the Specimen Containment Unit. Bring a body bag." Hojo ordered. "And bring specimen 13 to the main pod"

_The specimen containment room…I need to find that room _Cloud thought to himself. _That must be where he kept her. Aerith, wait for me. _

Suddenly, the center of the room begins to vibrate and a red lion-like beast rise from the ground within the giant glass pod. The beast has a tattoo 'XIII' embedded on his fur, his right eye is scarred and his flaming tail flickers as it sways. The creature circles around inside the pod like a goldfish in a fishbowl.

"I wonder what is going on." Tifa whispered quietly to Cloud.

"Activate gas", Hojo pressed a button on the panel nearby and green smog begins to pour out of the vent inside the glass pod.

The red beast whimpers at the sight of the gas. Cloud and the others could see the green poisonous smog enters the involuntary animal's nose. The professor observes the situation in the pod, writing notes on his clipboard simultaneously.

Tifa's eyes widen as she witness the poor animal's torture, "We need to do something."

"No, we need to find Aerith" Cloud said to the two, trying his best to look away from the suffering red four legged creature.

The beast is now wheezing and coughing. With each cough, it inhales more poison gas in, burning its throat and lungs painfully. Finally, it collapsed on its side, twitching.

"I can't take this shit anymore!" The tall dark man shouted, he cannot bare to hide and watch anymore. "No one deserves to be tortured this way, not even for science!" Barret ran out from his hiding spot and begin shooting at the 4 inches thick glass pod rapidly.

Tifa immediately followed with a potion in her hand.

"What are you doing?! Who are you people?!" Hojo exclaimed as he watch his containment pod get shattered by the raging man with the gun arm. Thousands of glass pellets drops to the metal ground like hail on a cold day.

"Damn it" Cloud cursed under his breath as he ran to his comrades. _We better not going to get caught now_, not when he is this close to saving Aerith.

* * *

Aerith slowly opens her eyes to find herself inside a specimen containment glass pod. She looks around her surrounding to find more pods and cages in the room. Most of them contains an animal or a four legged monster of some sort. The room reeks of harsh chemical odor and the smell of animal whose hygiene are not being looked after. _There must be over 40 of Hojo's test subjects in here. _She can tell the subjects are clearly distressed, several of them are either crying or whimpering. _This place is hell… _

Suddenly the door to the room opened, and a young woman in a black suit walked in. She has auburn colored hair and a sad look on her face. Paying no attention to Aerith or any of the specimen, she made her way to a trolley, where a body rest.

Aerith cannot see clearly the face of the man lying down from where she is. "Hey…" The flower girl said, trying to get the attention of the other woman.

Cissnei is used to ignoring all the test subjects in the room, she had never walked onto this floor without the monsters growling, hissing or barking at her. The noise used to bother her, but she had gotten so used to it, it became second nature. Ignoring the young woman in pink, she continued to make her way to the unconscious man. Slowly, she reaches out to touch his hand…

"Hey!" This time, the flower girl shouted as loud as she could, her fist banging hard on the glass wall.

Annoyed at the interruption, Cissnei turned to find a woman in pink banging on the glass of her pod. "What?" _what an annoying girl_, she walks over to Aerith. "What do you want?" she asked sternly, her arms crossed.

"Please let me go…" Aerith pleaded to the stranger.

Zack is scheduled to be dispose of today, and the young Turk is not interested in anything else other than being beside him until his last moment. But something is not clicking, Cissnei observe the flower girl's face. _Could she be…_ and that is when she noticed the label on her containment glass pod and read the words out loud. "Cetra – Aerith Gainsborough.", _She is Aerith… So this is what she looks like._ "So you are Zack's…" Cissnei stops midway through her sentence and covers her mouth, not wanting anymore words to come out. _I forgot,_ _she doesn't know what happened to him.._.

Aerith felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of his name. She stood there in silence, questioning herself if she had heard wrong. _Did… she say Zack? _"Zack?" she asked with a blank look on her face, "Zack? Zack Fair?"

Cissnei only nodded as she lowered her eyebrows.

"Where is he now? How do you know him?"

"It doesn't matter anymore" The auburn haired Turk shook her head.

"Tell me. I need to know."

Cissnei watched the trapped woman on the other side of the glass, tears are forming in her eyes, yet her expression is serious and determined. Aerith looks as though she is not begging the Turk for an answer, she is demanding it, because it is her right and privilege to know what had happened to him. She has been waiting for this moment for years, to finally learn the truth. Seeing her painful yet stern expression, Cissnei knew, Aerith's love for Zack still lingers, even after he had disappeared for years. The young Turk smiled as she saw a little bit of herself in Aerith. Cissnei surrenders to the Ancient, and points to the man lying on the trolley bed at the other side of the room. "There".

All Aerith could see is a body lying there from afar, she wants a closer look, but she is stuck in this darn specimen containment pod. "What happened? How is he?!"

"He is in a coma, after being shot nearly to death by Shinra. He is here now because Hojo wanted to experiment with his body more, but…"

Before Cissnei could explain further, the door to the large room opens and two Shinra guards enters, interrupting the ladies.

Cissnei ran back to the man on the trolley, "What is it?"

"Is this Zack Fair? Specimen 1036?" the guard pointed to the unconscious man.

Cissnei nodded suspiciously.

"We received an order from Hojo to dispose his body".

_What? What are they talking about?_ "Zack!" Aerith cried out his name.

**_Thump. _**

"There must be a mistake, he is not scheduled for disposal until later today" Cissnei said to the guards.

"Zack! It's me! Aerith" she calls again. The tears swimming in her eyes before are now sliding down her face. She is so confused, she wants to know what is happening, she wants to see his face.

**_Thump._**

"We are just following orders miss", one of the man in blue said as he unfolds the body bag, the other went beside Zack to detach the life support equipment connected to his stilled body.

"Look, the subject is in a deep sleep, he may still wake up between now until his disposal time" Cissnei continues to defend the dark haired man from the guards.

"Sorry, Hojo did not specify not to dispose the subject conscious or unconscious. Please understand, we are just following orders"

"Please step aside", the other guard ordered the auburn haired girl.

_They are… going to… dispose Zack?_ "Zack… get up!" The flower girl pressed her forehead on the transparent wall separating her from running to him. She knocks on the glass as hard as she can with her fist. "You said you would come back to see me! You promised!"

**_Thump. _**

She is so close, she wants to see the man she had waited 4 years for and stop whatever it is Shinra is about to do to him, but how_?__ I need to break this glass_... "What happened to filling Midgar full of flowers?!" she wipes the tears off her eyes with her arm. Aerith takes a step back and charged at the glass with her side, but only to bounce back from the impact and drop to the floor.

**Thump.**

But the woman in pink is not about to give up yet, "What happened to taking me to see the sky?...", she let out in a shaky voice and got back up to her feet.. Cissnei and the guards watch the small framed woman threw her side again and again to the glass relentlessly, trying her best to knock down the crystal wall in her way, as if it is her greatest enemy. Droplets of sparkling tears flew off her cheek with every throw.

**Thump Thump.**

The sound of Aerith tossing herself against the glass continues to echo within the Specimen Containment room.

After too many attempts, the exhausted flower girl finally fell to her knees. She could feel the bruising pain on her arms and shoulders. _No… No…_ _stand up Aerith_, she thought to herself, but it is useless effort... She just doesn't have the physical strength to break down the thick glass, no matter how hard she tries. _This time, Zack is really going to leave me…_

With the feeling of hopelessness consuming her, she covers her face with her hands and she cries out as loud as she could, one last time.

The other specimens listen silently to the cries of the girl trapped behind the glass wall, her cry was full of sorrow, the saddest, most agonizing melody they have ever heard in this room.

"Zack… Get up…"

**Thump thump. Thump thump.**

Finally…

"Aer—ith…?", her name escaped from his dry mouth. The dark haired man has awoken from his slumber. His heavy eyes slowly opens, letting the fluorescent light flow into his vision.

Cissnei covered her mouth in surprise, "Zack!" She ran to his side. "Zack! You're awake!"

"Zack?! Zack!" Aerith calls out. _He is back! _She wants to see him so bad, but her pod is too far. "Zack I'm here!" she continues to call him.

"Cissnei? Where… is… Aerith?" The former soldier operative asked in a tired voice, his whole body felt numb. The man's sky blue eyes travelled from left to right, trying to locate the woman who called for him, eyelids fighting to stay open.

"Sorry, but we have orders to take him away, regardless of his condition" a guard put a hand on the young Turks' shoulder urging her to move away, paying no sympathy to their touching moment.

The auburn haired woman quickly wipe the tears of joy from her eyes and drew out her shuriken. This is it, he is awake. This is the time she has been waiting for, it is her turn to help the man she loves. "You have to go through me first", she points the sharp point of her red and white Rekka at one of the guards. Shinra has raised her all her life, but this man is important to her and she wants to fight for what is in her heart. _Sorry Shinra… _"Zack, I will save you this time".

"Shit", the guard with the shuriken pointed to him unsheathes his sword and immediately charge for Cissnei without a moment of hesitation. He swung his sword down at the woman, but the nimble Turk dodged to the side of the blade with ease, kicking the man down as soon as she saw an opening. She finished him by throwing her shuriken, cutting open the man's chest horizontally.

The man screamed in pain, as blood gushed out of his large wound and stains his blue uniform.

"How foolish of you to fight a Turk", she dragged the injured man over to an empty cage by his collar. She threw him in and locks the metal bar door, letting the man inside to bleed to his end. Now, only one more guard stands.

Zack watch the female Turk betray Shinra for his life. "Cissnei…", if he had the strength, he would stop her. After all, he knows better than anyone, what happens to those who betrays Shinra.

"Just hold on a little longer Zack" Cissnei said to him in her normal cheerful voice.

"Call for back up!" the dying man in the cage calls out to his comrade.

"Ye-Yes Sir!" the other guard made a dash for the door, but only to run into a blond man walking in.

Upon seeing the anxious Shinra guard, Cloud immediately drew his Buster sword.

"Damn it". The guard has no choice now but to fight, he drew his sword, ready to face the blond man. Just as he was about to swing his sword at his target, a piercing pain crossed his back, and the fight was over before it even started. Cissnei's shuriken has strike the man's back, causing the man in the blue uniform to drop into a puddle of his own blood.

"Did this Turk just tried to help us?" Barret asked from the doorway, his eyes locked onto Cissnei.

Aerith watched as Cloud, Tifa, and Barret, accompanied by a red lion-like beast enters the room. _Cloud! Tifa! They are alright!_

The auburn haired Turk took a step back to observe the situation. She is outnumbered and she is unsure of their combat level, it is not wise to attack yet.

"Maybe", Cloud answered, "keep an eye on her".

"Way ahead of your spikey ass" The dark man with the gun arm answered, his eyes not leaving Cissnei.

"She's in here" Red XIII said, his snout pointing to Aerith's direction.

After Cloud, Tifa and Barret had rescued the red beast, also known as Red XIII, they had casted sleep on Hojo and hid him inside one of the cargo boxes. Red XIII had offered to take them to the Specimen Containment unit in search for a flower girl in pink, to compensate for saving his life.

"Aerith!" Cloud ran to the pod, and search the exterior of the device, looking for a way to let her out.

"Tifa, watch the Turk for me" Barret said.

Tifa nodded as she fixes her red gloves, preparing herself for battle should Cissnei make a move.

"I got this one" Barret pulled Cloud away from the pod. "Aerith lay low and cover your ears".

Aerith nodded as she does exactly what the man says.

The dark skinned man released a round of shots, once again, shattering the thick glass into thousands of pieces.

Cloud immediately reaches in the broken pod to help his flower girl out. "Are you alright?" he asked. As soon as Aerith steps out of the device, he immediately cups his hands on her cheeks, taking a good look at her face, inspecting it for signs of damage. He noticed her face is wet from her tears, without thinking, he rips off one of his glove and gently wipe the liquid from her cheeks with his bare hand.

"I'm alright Cloud", she said, reassuring the blond man. Aerith removed his hands from her face, allowing her to walk to the other side of the room where Zack laid. He could barely open his heavy lids, and his body is still lying flat on the trolley bed, but his blue eyes are watching her.

Zack doesn't know how to feel, should he be happy to see Cloud alright and Aerith before him? Or should he be confused as to why Cloud was caressing her face? Regardless, the muscles on his face is too sore to create any expressions.

"Aerith" Zack softly calls out her name.

"Zack…Welcome back". More tears are forming in her emerald eyes, she bit her lips trying her best to hold back from crying anymore.

'Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert.' And the alarm rang.

"Damn it, they are on to us!" Barret turns back to the Turk and brushes his gun arm, waiting to see what kind of reaction she will make. "So, are you a friend or foe?"

"Neither" Cissnei finally spoke, "I'm not here to capture you. You guys are here for Aerith right? Take her, I will not stop you. In exchange, please put your arms down, I only want to take Zack away from here!", then suddenly, the door flew open once again.

"That is not necessary Cissnei", this time Tseng made his entrance, slowly followed by Reno. "Because Avalanche will be taking Zack with them", the leader of the Turks ordered.

"Tseng… Reno…"

Cloud, Tifa, Barret and Red XIII got into their battle stance at the sight of the Turks.

Ignoring Cloud and the others, Tseng looks to Zack, "Back from the dead?"

Zack grinned at his friend's bad joke with all his remaining energy, "Barely".

"Heh", The Turks leader chuckled, "I'm sorry, in the end, I couldn't keep my words. I give the responsibility of protecting her back to you." Tseng brought his gaze to the girl in pink, "Aerith, I was a fool to believe Hojo"

Aerith nodded, accepting his apology.

"Wait, what the hell is going on?" the blond man finally spoke. Why are they acting like friends? And who is this guy Zack? He must admit, the name Zack rang a bell in his head, but why would the Turks ask him to take a random man with him? _Could I_ _decline?_…

"You guys should get going, my boss is not always so generous" Reno said to Cloud, "Or would you rather stay and fight us", he grinned, "and the Soldier operatives who are making their way here right now?"

"Cloud, let's avoid the bloodshed", Tifa answered for the blond man. Unlike Cloud, she is aware who Zack is and there are many questions she needs to ask him. Taking the former soldier operative with them is a no brainer. Tifa went to Zack's side, helping the man up.

"Tseng, thank you", Aerith said as she went to help Tifa.

The leader of Turk replied to her thanks with a nod and redirected his attention to Cloud. "The next time we meet, we may become enemies again".

Though still a little confused, Cloud nodded and made his leave with his now party of six, leaving the Turks in the room with the many specimens.

"Man, I can't believe we just helped the enemies" the red haired man sighed as he turns to his boss, "After all this, how can you say you don't have a soft spot for that Ancient?"

Ignoring Reno's question, Tseng walks towards the door. "Cissnei, this is for the best", he said and exited the room, leaving the two red headed Turks.

Cissnei brought her gaze down, she wore a painful look on her face. Zack has finally awaken, but he is taken away from her already, she was so ready to escape with him… "Say Reno, why did Tseng let them take him?"

Reno looks up at the ceiling, as he interprets Tseng's recent actions, "What do you think will happen to those who betray Shinra?"

"…" She stayed silent, but she knew the answer very well.

"We were surprised to find Avalanche here too, I guess he decided to take advantage of the situation. They are now to blame for helping the two specimens escape", Reno brought his gaze back to Cissnei, "As much as I hate to admit, those guys just saved you and Tseng"

"What do you mean?"

"You wanted to help that guy escape right? Tseng came here to do the same thing for that Ancient after finding out Hojo's true motives", Reno chuckled. "Love makes people do stupid things eh?"

* * *

Xoxoxoxo

Author's notes:

Phew. This chapter was hard to write. My previous chapters only had 2-3 characters to deal with, so I never thought writing a scene with multiple characters would be so challenging. There was so much I wanted to describe, but too much was going on already. Regardless, I hope I was able to present the scene to you in the way I visualized it. Like or not, please let me know what you think (or how else would I know how to write scenes like this in the future? :D).

I'm happy to have the Shinra scene out of the way. Now that CloudxAerith has a foundation and Zack is back in the picture, I can concentrate on the love triangle (and more fluff!)

Please follow/fav or review, to show your support that you actually want to see the story progress. Believe it or not, but little things like this brings a smile to my face and encourages me to write more.

Thank you so much for reading!


	7. An Awkward Kiss in the Town of Kalm

**Chapter 7**

"And that is what happened in Niebelhiem" Cloud had just explained what had happened to his hometown years ago.

It took the whole night of walking the grassy plain on foot without rest, but Cloud and his party has finally reached the small town of Kalm. The quiet tiny town has a rustic feel, all the houses either had blue or green shingles on the roof, but overall the same design. It is a peaceful place with a small population, composed of mostly elderly or retirees. Further into the town, there is a small shopping district consist of two levels.

When escaping the Shinra building, Cloud and his party has found evidence of Sephiroth's attack on the corporation. Bodies of Shinra employee slashed and stabbed with a long Masamume could be found lying throughout the top floors. By the look of each clean cut and the level of damage, Cloud and Zack could both tell that none other than Shinra's favorite former silver haired hero could have done this. In order to fully comprehend what is going now, the party of six decided to stop by the Inn to listen to Cloud's side of the story.

Zack of course, was confused by the blond man's explanation, he was going to interrupt Cloud several times but was unsuccessful due to Tifa giving him the death stare every time he is about to open his mouth. She knew exactly what the dark haired man was thinking, but her approach is to remain silent until the right time. The female combat specialist has a pretty face, but her glare can pack as much punch as her fist.

"Sephiroth is alive, and I need to settle the score" Cloud finishes his story.

"Man this is confusing! So you are saying we need to find this Sephiroth dude in a long black cloak right?" Barret swings his arms up in the air, frustrated that he still cannot understand what is going on despite spending the last two hours listening to the whole story. Patience is not his forte.

"I guess you can put it that way" Cloud scratches the back of his head.

"You should have just said that! What about you two? Are you guys game?" The dark skinned man points his finger to Zack and Red XIII.

The sudden change of topic startled the dark haired former soldier operative, "Me?" Zack didn't give it much thought, all that was in his mind before getting shot down by the 9000 infantry men was getting to Aerith. Next thing he knew, he woke up from a coma after hearing her call for him. He glance over to the beautiful woman in pink looking out the window and a smile instantly formed on his lips," I'm going anywhere Aerith is going", but that is not it, "and I also have a few things to settle with Sephiroth".

Cloud lowered his eyebrows, not feeling very happy with the other man's first answer, but he will not deny that Aerith and Tifa both knows this person. Though he is not very fond of Zack, his instinct tells him he can trust this man.

"I need to get back to my home canyon, until then, I will continue to support the team" The red lion-like beast explained.

"Good enough for me!" Barret got up from the chair he had his bottom glued on for the past 2 hours, "I'm going to look around town, call me when you decide on a destination, Mr. Leader!" The dark man mocked. Still bitter the girls has chosen the blond man as the leader and not him. He exited the room, shutting the door behind him with a bang.

"I will do the same" Red XIII said as he stretch his four legs, and followed the man with the gun arm.

Zack spoke up as well, "I think I will rest up. My body is still not 100% yet" he looks down in disappointment. He walked over to the bed closest to the window and sat down. He wish his body was well enough to walk around town or do some squats even.

"Then I will stay too!" Aerith said immediately.

_Why?_ Cloud thought. "You are finally out of the slums, why don't you go out and actually enjoy the sky?"

Cloud's comment caught Zack in surprise. He had been asleep for so long, he had almost forgotten the promised he made to Aerith. And since the walk from Midgar to Kalm took the whole night, she still didn't get to see the blue sky after sunrise.

"But I ..." She looks to Zack. Sure, she wants to see the blue sky and feel the sunlight on her skin, but she is a feeling a little scared, too many years has passed living under the plate. Plus, Zack was going to take her…

_Right, I promised to go with her so she wouldn't be scared. _Zack immediately tries to stand up from the bed, but a sharp pain crossed his chest where the Shinra infantry men had repeatedly shot months ago, causing him to fall back down. The dark haired former soldier operative had recovered tremendously since his awakening, but he has lost so much strength, he could no longer withstand pain like he used to. He really want to fulfil her wish, but… _maybe I should ask her to go tomorrow?_

"Let's go look around" Not waiting for the dark haired man to respond, Cloud reach out his hand to Aerith, "together..." He mumbled the last part quietly. So quiet he's not even sure Aerith had heard him.

Again, Cloud had surprised the man on the bed. The Cloud he knew was a timid country boy, who dreams of being Soldier, but the blonde man before him now is different. In his memory, Cloud had his shoulders down and wore a disappointed face when asked if he had expressed his feelings to Tifa. What happened to the man he risked his life to save in the last few months? Why does Cloud remind him of himself? Why was he caressing Aerith's face back at Shinra, and why is he asking her out to see the town and not Tifa?

Zack brush his bangs off his face, as he realize that a lot more has happened when he was asleep, "Aerith, Go. You always wanted to see the sky". He gave the young woman in pink a bright smile, he needs to make his best smile to cover up the confused and hurt feeling. "Tifa and I have a lot to catch up on!" He turns to the long haired combat specialist to the other side of the room.

"Huh?" Tifa blushed slightly.

Zack winked at her, signaling her to play along.

"Oh right, I'll stay here to keep him company"

A disappointed Aerith nodded to Zack, "In that case, I'll buy you some new clothes, and pick out a new sword for you", she headed towards the door, with Cloud following from behind.

Zack watch his best friend put a hand on his love's back as he opened the door, "Thank you guys", he said to them, the mask, that is his smile never left his face.

"We will be right back" the flower girl smiled back. Cloud and Aerith left the room, leaving the two dark haired man and woman alone in the room.

Zack and Tifa listened to their love interest's footsteps fades away. The curve of his smile slowly dies out with each step. "Long time, Tifa. We have a lot to discuss".

Tifa nodded in response. Zack was the cheerful Soldier, he is strong, bright and courageous, at least, that was the Zack she remembered. The man before her has sunken to a completely different level. He has lost weight, and his expression is that of a man at his mother's funeral. She would console him and ask if he is okay, but there is another man she is more concern about right now, "What really happened in Nibelheim? Why is Cloud telling your story?"

"I will tell you what I know, in exchange tell me what is wrong with Cloud, he and I are friends, but it is as if he forgot who I am and..." the young man clenched his fist, "... And what is going on between him and Aerith?"

"Deal", the long hair female fighter nodded.

* * *

Aerith looks up at the blue sky, letting the dazzling brightness enters her vision. She has longed for this moment for years, to be under the color of his eyes, where flowers are supposed to bloom. She smiled as she watch the fluffy white clouds slowly slide across the blue horizon, she had forgotten the sky has clouds. She brought her gaze back down for a break from the light, just to find a handsome blond man watching her. He wore a soft peaceful expression, and his lips slightly curved up, he too, was admiring nature's beauty, her. The young woman in pink giggles at the idea that there is a 'Cloud' on the ground too.

"I had a feeling you would want to see the sky after living under the plate for so many years"

Aerith nodded. "Thank you for showing me Cloud, I'm so happy right now" she is, Zack is alive and recovering rapidly. Although he is not with here to experience her first time under the blue sky in so many years, she didn't mind sharing this moment with Cloud either.

"Is it scary?" The man asked. He too, is happy he was able to show her the blue horizon.

She looks up again and shook her head, "The sky is so big, I thought I would get sucked in and get lost in it", she brought her gaze back down and smiles at Cloud, "but since you're here, I know I'm safe".

"Protecting you from the sky, is part of the bodyguard's job" he scratches the back of his head nervously.

And with the sun warming their backs, the two continue to head towards the shopping district.

* * *

Back at the room of the tiny inn, Zack and Tifa just had a thorough and lengthy discussion about Cloud's behavior and what may have caused it. After Zack had clarify the incident at Niebelheim, the puzzle is beginning to piece together in Tifa's head.

It was a shock to the young female combat specialist that Cloud was actually there at the Mt. Nibel Mako Reactor and not a hallucination. To know her blonde hero really did came to her rescue warmed her heart. Tifa wore the face of a woman in love, she had a pink hue on her cheeks, which connects all the way to her ears.

Seeing her feelings manifest onto her features, Zack does not understand why Cloud has not made a move. The young woman standing before him is absolutely gorgeous, her eyes are like shining jewels and her body... He blushes slightly as his eyes travel down her curvy feminine form. She is stunning, and so in love with Cloud. _Cloud you idiot!_ "Say Tifa, does Cloud know how you feel?"

Tifa's back curved as her head drops, bringing her gaze down "What do you mean? It's not like that" she muttered.

The former soldier laughed at her response, poking fun of her dishonesty, "You are so transparent!" he continues to laugh until a slight pain cross is chest where his wounds are still recovering. "Ow ow ow", he squeezes eyes shut at the ache.

"Serve you right", Tifa crossed her arm triumphantly.

He took a few seconds for the pain to die down, "Heh, in all seriousness. You need to be more open with your feelings. A bold and honest girl is the best!" _Like Aerith_, he thought. "I bet you Cloud will be really happy"

Tifa looks down again, "He doesn't feel that way towards me, I think he-" she stopped, should she say it?

"He…?" he waited for the long haired woman to finish her sentence.

"I think he loves Aerith"

"..." Though Zack saw it coming, having someone verify his suspicion made the dark haired man's expression turned blank. The grin he wore a moment ago has completely vanished.

Tifa watched as his eyes transformed into nothing but mere lifeless sapphire tinted marbles, it sat in his sockets like two pretty blue ornaments. Concerned, she waved her hand in front of his face. "Zack?"

A slight bob of his head, was his reply.

"Are you alright?"

"How did they meet?" he ignored her question.

"He fell into her church, her flower bed saved him"

The young man felt a surge of emotions behind his aching chest, underneath all those bullet wounds. Confusion? Confliction? Jealousy? Hurt? Betrayal? Or maybe, it is all of the above. He closed his eyes, furrowed his brows and clenched his teeth in respond to this disturbing feeling.

The long haired woman studied his face, she always thought he was handsome, his neatly spiked dark hair, medium skin tone, sky blue eyes, chiseled jawline, paired with his boyish mischievous smile can make any woman's legs wobble. Yet two times today, she has seen him wore painful expressions which shed a different light on him, and both times, Aerith was the topic of discussion. "You had a relationship with Aerith in the past?"

He jumped at her question, "How do you know?! Did she tell you?!" he asked like a teenage boy inquiring about his crush.

Tifa shook her head "I could tell by the way you two look at each other, and that long haired Turk said something about protecting her for you" and that is not it, "also, from your expression just now". She sat down on the bed beside Zack's, "Want to talk about it?"

"We dated for two years. But the whole incident in Niebelheim, it ruined everything" His fingers dug into his palm as he squeeze his hand into a fist. "Over four years, with no signs of my whereabouts. I can't expect her to continue where we left off". He looks into Tifa's eyes, "Do you think Aerith likes him back?"

The man before Tifa was a first class Soldier, yet he has the innocent eyes of a puppy dog. It drowned her heart. She held her hand to her chest and nodded.

He could feel a surge of pressure behind his eyes. He brought his gaze up to the ceiling, letting gravity fight back the pressure.

"But, I'm sure she still has feelings for you. Don't give up." The woman said upon seeing his reaction.

Zack's lips curved up ever so slightly at her encouragement.

"And I won't either", the long haired woman sat up straight.

He chuckled at the young fighter's new found confidence. "Who said I'm giving up?", he falls back on his spring mattress, causing his body to bounce a few times, "Cloud doesn't have nearly as much experience I have with woman" he teased. _Yeah. There is no way I would lose to him… yeah. _

Tifa giggled at his statement, "Cloud has his own charming side that you can't compete with."

"Hey, whose side are you on anyway?"

"Our side." She smiled.

* * *

Cloud is in yet another clothing boutique with Aerith. Instead of dressing him up as a girl this time, Aerith is using his upper body as a guide in picking out new clothes for Zack. She figured this will be the best way to determine which size to get for the dark haired former soldier, who is still in the green gown that Hojo put on him, and not the most flattering outfit. Though, he may be taller than Cloud, and now that he lost some weight, their physiques became pretty similar.

The first thing Aerith picked up was a black v-neck sweater, she always thought he looks the most handsome in dark color, it really draws out her favorite part of him, his eyes. Aerith positioned the top on Cloud, aligning the shirt's shoulder to his. She admires the flow of the thin sweater over the slight hills of his muscular chest, the sight made her blush. "This will look so good on Zack too", she said to herself.

"..."

Holding onto the sweater she made her way to the shelf full of jeans. She grabs a pair of dark navy jeans and again, uses Cloud as her human measuring tape, this time, using the lower half of his body as a guide. Stretching the pair of jeans at its opening, she lines it up with Cloud's lower waist. The blond man's face turned pink as the flower girl circles around his 'below-the-waist' area obliviously, making tiny contacts as she straightens the denim.

"I've never seen him in jeans, I wonder if Zack will like it?" she asked herself.

"..."

With a sweater, a pair of jeans and black leather boots, Aerith paid the cashier the asking amount. With Zack's attire taken care of, it is time to move onto the last stop, the weapon store. The store is hidden at the end of a dark and narrow alley at the lower level of the district.

Let's face it, Aerith is no weapon appraiser, she barely uses her staff in combat, in fact, the only reason she welds a staff is to equip her materia. With next to no knowledge in this area, she asked Cloud to decide. The blond haired man chose a Mythril Saber, the largest sword the shop had in stock, but Cloud did not pick it merely for its size. The blade is carved to slash, the hilt is well-crafted and put together, but ultimately, for some odd reason, he could picture Zack welding a giant sword just like himself. With a new heavy sword in his grip, the two exited the store, back into the empty dark alley.

"I wonder if Zack will like this sword…" Aerith said to herself.

_Zack, Zack, Zack..._ The whole afternoon, Aerith kept talking about Zack. The blond man lets out a growl in annoyance, he has had enough of her talking about another man. Cloud stopped in his track in the dark alley, "Aerith" he silently called out her name.

"Huh? What is it?" She stopped and turned around to meet his face. Her smile dropped at the sight of his gloomy aura.

"Zack, you're always talking about him".

The man's words made Aerith jumped... "Do I?" she stuttered.

"I know he was the one you were talking about back at the park." With his eyes set on Aerith, he took a step forward towards her. The woman in front of him is so small in stature, and yet, so desirable. Deep in his head, locked in secrecy, he just wants to keep her to himself, not just from Shinra, but from other men. But most of all… "The one who disappeared for 4 years", he continued and takes another step forward.

Aerith's mouth suddenly went dry, she could only gulp and nod in confirmation as the blond man gets closer to her.

Cloud could feel jealousy take control of his body at the idea of having a tough rival. Now that Zack is in the picture, he wants to claim this woman as his more than ever. "I could tell by how happy you are since he came into the picture", he takes another step.

Every step he takes, pushes Aerith closer to the wall behind, until she felt the hard brick wall against her back. The lack of sunlight in the dark alley had turned the brick cold, it was a good thing, as it provided her heated body with cooling relieve. The young woman in pink could hear the sound of her heart beating rapidly.

Cloud is inches away from the flower girl, he dropped all the bags of merchandise they just got on the ground, and not once did he took his blue eyes off her.

"But, I'm here now", he said to her softly.

The man standing before Aerith is so handsome and the intensity of his radiant blue eyes is overwhelming. The next thing she knew, her breathing has gotten so heavy that she had forgotten to exhale a couple of times. Wanting to escape before her heart jumps out, she made an attempt to leave her position by turning towards the bright opening of the empty alley. But only to be block by his muscular arm, followed by the sound of his leather glove making contact to the brick wall behind. Cloud has obstructed her escape, imprisoning the woman in between him and the solid wall.

"Cloud..." His name slipped out of her mouth. Everything about this instant is contributing to the rapid pounding inside her. Their attraction and feelings for each other is undeniable.

She watched as the man with the blond spikey hair lean in closer and use his other free hand to caress her cheek. The man bent down a little to cater to her height. In the dim alley, she could see Cloud tilts his head and lowers his eyelids until the blue eyes are half covered. She could smell his natural fragrance, he smells just like the cologne samples she often finds slipped inside magazines. The texture of his leather glove on her cheek is cooling down her burning face.

Knowing what he is about to do, Aerith battles her inner devil, the one that is telling her to close her eyes, and slightly part her pink lips in anticipation. Her body heats up at the thought of the pleasure she will receive from this attractive man, when he slides his tongue in her mouth, and dances with hers passionately… Together in this dark alley, where nobody would ever find out.

Unable to hold her urges, Aerith surrendered herself to her inner devil, she bit her lips and slowly closes her eyes. Heart pounding.

Cloud watch as the woman trapped before him completely shuts her eyes. Never had he noticed her long dark eyelashes, they are beautiful just like every other part of her. He smiled slightly at the thought that he is about to seal Aerith's lips with his, claiming her as his.

And there she is, her eyes are closed, her cheeks are burning, she is breathing heavily through her mouth and she had licked her lips to ensure they are not dry. But then, her eyelids started twitching, as if a part of her is trying to say this is not right, and something is telling her to open her eyes…. And she did.

She lifted her eyelids to discover his closing blue eyes, reminding her of her former lover and the first time she noticed them.

'_So pretty'. _

'_The face?'_

'_The eyes.'_

'_You like them? Then take a closer look.' _

Zack's cheerful face flashed before her, he was showing her his blue eyes, striking his signature smirk as he lean closer, giving her an up-close and personal view. And that was when she realized that she cannot do this to Cloud, she can't kiss him when there is another man in her mind, but her realization was a second too late.

Cloud had pressed his lips on hers, giving her the experience of a first kiss. Aerith could feel his soft lips in-between hers. He placed gentle kisses on her soft pink skin, waiting for her to return the passion. But instead, she stood still as a new feeling begin to surface from within, the sinful feeling of guilt. Liquid formed in her eyes as she questioned herself, _what am I doing?_

Cloud slowly parts away from Aerith, he brought his gaze down to the small gap of spaces between them. From her lack of response in the kiss, he has a pretty good mental image of her expression at this moment, and confirming it, will only further break his heart. "Just because he is back, doesn't mean you have to love him anymore" was all he said before he pulled away from the woman he love. With a sad expression, he reached for the bags he had dropped just a while ago. "Sorry about the kiss, I'll be heading back first", with that, he walks towards the bright light at the other end of the alley, leaving Aerith to drown in her thoughts.

Aerith's legs gave in on her as soon as Cloud left the scene. She fell on the damp alley ground as with her tears, cursing herself under her shaky breath. _Aerith, you are a horrible person. You are the worse, how could you love two person at the same time?_

* * *

The door creeks open, waking the dark haired man up from his nap. Zack rubs his eyes and checks which party member was the first to return.

After his chat with Tifa, they have decided it is best to let Cloud know the truth about his identity at the right time. Tifa has left him to rest alone as the man was obviously upset and needed time to ponder on the recent events alone.

A blond man in soldier uniform walks in, in his hands are bags of Aerith's purchases.

"Hey Cloud", Zack greeted, he noticed no one else is behind the man, "where is Aerith?"

Cloud stared to the side, not wanting to face Zack, "She's going to look around town", he lied.

"Ah, I see"

"She got you these" the blond man toss the bags containing the clothes and a pair of boots to Zack.

The man on the bed catches each bag with ease. He takes out each article one by one and he is liking what he sees. "Thanks bud". Zack immediately takes off his blood stained gown to put on his new sweater and jeans.

"..." _I'm not your 'bud'. In fact, you're currently my worst enemy. _Cloud turns away, paying no attention to the other man changing. He brought out the sword Aerith got for Zack and unsheathe the scabbard, revealing the large Mythril Saber.

Happy to be wearing actual clothes, Zack smooth the wrinkles off his dark sweater with his hands, "Perfect fit", he grinned.

Ignoring the man's comment on his new outfit, Cloud walked over to him, "This will be your weapon" he gently hands the saber over to Zack.

The dark haired man holds the hilt of the sword, and examines the blade. He inspects it for signs of imperfection as his eyes travels from the hilt to the sharpest point at the end. "This is a good sword, but it is not the Buster Sword".

"You owned a Buster Sword too?" the blond man grumbled.

Zack chuckled, "Yeah, what I would do to get that baby back." he hinted. "Hey, do you think I can borrow your Buster Sword sometimes?"

Cloud's brows furrowed together, "Not a chance". In fact, Cloud is never going to share anything with him, not the sword, not her.

"Why not?"

The blond man detach the Buster Sword from the magnet on his back. He held it up vertically, both hands gripping the hilt. "Because, this sword is…"

Zack remembers that posture very well. It was the very pose he learned from Angeal, the one he used to remind himself of his pride as Soldier. Seeing Cloud held the giant sword up high, brought a smile to his face. "Yeah?… this sword is?", his eyes widened in excitement as he probed the man to continue, wanting to hear HIS heroic story behind the Buster Sword from Cloud's mouth.

"This sword is…"

"Yeah?" Zack's eyes are shining in anticipation.

"This is…" Cloud continues.

"Yeah?" If Zack were a puppy, he'd be wagging his tail right about now.

"This…"

"Yeah?!"

"I forgot", the blond man scratches the back of his head. "I think I took it from some random dude"

Zack's jaw dropped open in shock. _I risked my life for you damn it! You were supposed to be my living legacy! A random dude?! _He gives Cloud an angry look. "If it has no sentimental value, than just lend it to me!"

"What is your problem?"

"That sword is too good for you"

Cloud looks at his sword, "Yeah, this sword was in great condition when I got it," his brush the dirt off the blade with his gloves. "Normally, the use of swords would bring about wear, tear, and rust. I think the previous owner must have cared for it a lot. I have a feeling this Buster Sword symbolized something important to that person, and I want to know what it is"

Cloud's words softened Zack's expression.

The blond man could see his reflection on the surface of the Buster Sword. "Maybe this sword is too good for me, but when I weld this sword, I can feel enormous strength flow through me, like I'm fighting for someone important". Cloud has no idea why he is sharing such intimate thoughts with his rival, but there is something about Zack's presence, it feels very familiar.

Like a proud mentor to his pupil, Zack smiled humbly upon hearing Cloud's thought. "I hope you find the meaning behind the sword". _Guess I will let you keep the it for now… _He shrugged. _But there is one thing in this world that I will not hand over to you so easily. _"Hey Cloud."

Cloud turned to the dark haired man, Zack is now scratching the back of his head nervously and he wore a awkward smile on his face.

"I don't know how I should say this..." Zack continues, "Not sure if Aerith told you, but I know her for a while now and we used to date".

_What is this? Of course I know, are you trying to rub it in?_ Cloud thought.

"Listen, that girl, she is one of a kind"

_Yeah? I know that._

"Are your feelings serious?"

Cloud nodded with a frown on his face.

"Good". Zack's expression suddenly turned serious. He directed his cold blue eyes to meet Cloud's, his stare brought shivers up the blond man's spine. "I will never forgive you if you make her cry", Zack points his index finger at the other man.

This is the first time Cloud has seen this man so serious, ever since he joined the party, Zack is always smiling and cheerful, but the way he delivered his warning just now, really showed Cloud he has a dark and serious side.

_She is not even over you, yet you talk as if Aerith belongs to me._ Regardless, this is his reply to Zack, "I'm not you."

Zack smiles at his ironic reply, "Good, you better be ready, because I'm going to win her back from you".

* * *

oxoxox

Author's notes:

I love this chapter, and I spent a lot of time writing out their feelings. Maybe, it was because I was so upset with the last chapter... so I wanted to make up for it.

The scene with Cloud and Aerith was more heated the first time I wrote it, but I decided to tone it down and save the sexy time for later. As for Zack, I decided to postpone his romance with Aerith (his fault for being gone for 4 years), but he will be fully recovered and ready for some one on one time with his girl in the next chap. :D...

Again, thanks for reading! Please fav or follow or review!


	8. Inside the Chocobo Barn

**Chapter 8**

"Looks like we are stuck", Cloud said to the group as he read the wooden warning sign by the swamp.

'Caution, Midgar Zolom. Do Not Enter'

The group has left Kalm after learning from a traveler that a man in a black cloak has entered the Mythril Mine. With a new destination and traveling for three days, the party has come across their first obstacle, the deadly Midgar Swamp. In order to reach the mine, they must pass the foggy wet land, where the water are deep and murky. Snapping Adamantine are common residents of this spongy land, but they are by far the deadliest. Nothing is more intimidating than the Midgar Zolom.

"Midgar Zolom? What is that?" Tifa asked as she tilts her head to the side.

"I heard it is a snake or something". The man with the gun arm answered.

"A snake?" Aerith rubs her arms to calm her goose bumps as she pictures the slithery, scaly reptile in her head.

"Should we be worrying about a snake?" Red XIII asked the group, "it is a snake, we've came across much worst on our way here."

"The Midgar Zolom is no ordinary snake, it is the largest of its kind. Rumors says the thing is over 30 feet tall and uses fire elemental magic", Zack's Soldier training is not just combat simulation, like any first class soldier, he had to attend informative lectures on monsters that resides in different regions of the world. Though, Zack struggled to stay awake in most of the classes, the Midgar Zolom stuck out to him for its mere size, after all, it is the largest fiend in all of Midgar.

Cloud wrinkled his forehead as he struck his thinking pose, trying to think of an alternative way to get to the cavern. "Is there anyway we can outrun it?"

"No vehicles can operate in this swamp, and who knows how deep the water gets", Barret groaned, sharing his thoughts.

The party stood by the swamp, all thinking hard to come up with a solution to their obstacle. Then, a call echoed.

"WARKKK!"

"What was that?" The girls asked at the same time.

Zack could tell what that sound was, he turned to Cloud immediately, "Chocobo! That's it!"

Cloud nodded in respond, "Let's head towards the direction of the sound".

* * *

Following the sound of the bird has brought the team to a Chocobo farm. Where Chocobo Bill has offered to rent his golden birds to the team in order to cross the swamp. However, since it was past sunset, the party has decided to stay the night.

Aerith stared into the dark star lit sky through the window by her bed. The air felt damp from the ocean nearby. She took off her red jacket and pink ribbon as she gets ready for bed. In nothing but her pink dress she pulls the comforter over her body and rolls over onto her side.

There are conveniently three queen sized beds in the guest room, all with different hand quilted comforters. The bed to the right is Barret, he is snoring loudly with his arms and legs open like a starfish and Red XIII is at the end of the bed, looking annoyed that he has to share a bed with such a heavy sleeper. The bed to the left lays two men, one with blond hair, and the other has raven dark hair, both equally attractive. And lastly, Tifa, her bedmate for the night is already sleeping soundly to her right, the young female fighter has her arms wrapped around a pillow.

Zack and Cloud, are not happy to bunk together. The two has childishly placed pillows in between them, drawing a 'line' to separate their personal space. If they get to choose who they wants to share beds with, the answers would be obvious, but things don't always go that way. With the girls out of the question, it came down to either sharing the bed with each other, Barret or Red XIII. The huge man with the gun arm is a heavy sleeper who takes up most of the bed, and his snoring is definitely no lullaby. Though Red is small, he does have a flaming tail and the men are not looking forward to getting burnt in the middle of the night. It makes much more sense to pair the heavy sleeper with the beast.

The dark haired man turned to his side, pressing his right cheek on the white pillow. His blue eyes caught the sight of a girl with long brown curls watching him, she is also lying on her side. He could still see her blushing face under the moonlight from the window.

Aerith covers her head with the blanket immediately after getting caught staring. "Good night Zack".

"Good night Aerith".

* * *

"Mmmm", Tifa is sleeping soundly, she turned over and tugged on the blanket, but that wasn't enough. The dark haired sleeping beauty pulled harder, scrunching the comforter up into a ball and away from the young woman in pink beside her.

"Achoo", Aerith sneezed as the cool night air makes contact with her. She turned to find Tifa has the comforter rolled up into a ball in between her arms.

Goosebumps are forming on her arms from the chill. She immediately rubs her hands over her bumpy skin to calm it down and checks the clock by the nightstand.

_2am... _

"Warrrk".

The call of a chocobo can be heard from the room. Aerith sat up curiously, wondering what the birds are doing at this time of the night.

"Wark!"

"Easy boy, I don't want you waking Aerith up" said a familiar voice from outside.

Aerith noticed Zack is missing from his spot in the next bed. _Could it be Zack?_ She wondered. The young woman got up to put on her hiking boots and tip toed out of the tiny farm house.

The first thing that caught her attention was the starlit sky, the dark sky contrast with the sparkling stars, each shine more brilliantly than the next. The moisture in the air is giving her skin a dewy glow, this fresh atmosphere is nothing like the dust filled air from the slums.

"Warrk!"

Aerith brought her gaze to the direction of the sound. She found a golden bird flapping its unproportionally small wings excitedly to a dark haired man. He is sitting on the white wooden fence, facing the chocobo inside. She quickly hid behind a nearby tree as she observe the situation.

"Easy I said. I don't have any more greens" the man shows the palms of his hands to the chocobo. "See?"

_It is Zack. _Zack is a tall man, but next to the giant bird, even he looks petite.

The bird doesn't look very content with Zack now that he has ran out of greens to offer, the tall angry Chocobo pecked the man's head, expressing his displease.

"Ow! You damn bird! What did you do that for?" He quickly covers his head with his hands, protecting it in case the bird goes for a second attack.

Aerith couldn't help but giggle at the scene.

"Warkk!" The bird bounced up and down, then hopped around in circles.

"I already fed you, you ungrateful bird. Argh! Your looks and personality reminds me so much of Cloud! That's it, I'm gonna call you Cloud from now on!" Zack growled at the aggressive bird.

Aerith couldn't hold her laugher anymore, she blend down to hold her throbbing stomach. She hasn't had such a good laugh for a very long time.

The music of her laughter made Zack realize he wasn't alone, the startled soldier immediately checks his surrounding, turning his head from left to right, "who's there?"

The young woman with long wavy hair pops her head out from behind the tree. She has her hand covering her mouth as she continues to laugh. Her presence caused Zack's face to instantly turn deep red.

"Aerith?! How-how long have you been here?!" He asked nervously, he wants to dig a hole and hide in it.

"Long enough to see a new side of you", she answered with a grin.

Zack is so embarrassed to be caught not only chatting with a chocobo, but he was caught naming it after his friend too. "I really thought I was alone..." He dropped his shoulders in shame. _How uncool Zack… _

"Sorry Zack, I didn't mean to spy. But, I'm glad I did. I had a really good laugh" Aerith smiled and walks closer to the man and the giant yellow bird.

The man watched the wind blew softly at her brown wavy hair. Now that he is no longer a Soldier operative, and has joined Cloud's party, he got to be with the flower girl consecutively for over a week now. Night time has became a special treat for Zack, because Aerith would always untie her ponytail before bed, and seeing the brown wavy hair naturally flow down her bare naked shoulders takes his breath away every time. And with no audience around, he gets to take in this stunning visual all to himself, free of interruption. _Gosh, she looks so good. _

"I've never seen a chocobo this close up before". She looks up at the yellow bird with uncertainty in her emerald eyes, "is it safe to pet him?" She asked Zack.

The corner of his lips curved up at her innocent remark, she reminded him of a child asking a dog owner permission to touch the pooch for the first time. "This chocobo doesn't like me, but who knows, maybe he will like you. Give it a shot".

The young woman in pink gulped and slowly reach out her shaky hand. "Here boy", she called the giant animal.

"Wark?" In response to her call, the bird hops in front of Aerith. The sudden action of the chocobo startled the young woman, she withdrew her hand immediately and took a step back.

Seeing her reaction, Zack couldn't help but ask, "You're scared of chocobos?"

"Of-of course not!" She lied and bit her lips.

Chocobos are one of those things that looks all cute and fluffy from afar. But up close, their large size and extrovert personality can intimidate most first time riders.

Zack made a smirk following her answer. "Oh really?" He crossed his arms in doubt. "I think he wants you to pet him", he indirectly dared the stubborn girl.

Aerith pouts at his challenge and reach out again to the yellow feathered bird. But her natural reflex caused her hand to withdraw as soon as the bird got close. Defeated by her own fear, the woman looks at the chocobo with a sad expression, she really wanted to pet this bird.

The scene amused the former soldier operative, she can support the party in fighting beast, but she is afraid of one of the friendliest animals to roam the planet. It may appear pathetic to some that a grown woman is afraid of a chocobo, but to Zack, it is the cutest thing he has ever seen.

To lend the poor young woman a hand, Zack slowly walked behind Aerith and wraps around the back of her right hand with his. Gently, he held out both their hands in front of the giant yellow bird. "Let's do this together", he said.

"Wait Zack! I-", Aerith jumped at the warmth of his body pressed against her back.

"Shhh. You don't want to startle it" He whispered from behind her ear.

The chocobo brought his peak to their hands suspiciously, taking in their scent with its tiny orange nostril. His large peak made contacts with their skin, the texture reminded the flower girl of brittle fingernails.

"Now scratch him behind the ears". He positioned Aerith's hand to the side of the chocobo's head and placed her fingertips behind its ear. He pressed his cheek against her hair and whispered again, "right here", He doesn't know it, but his hot breath heated up her entire face.

Aerith scratches the bird's ear at his signal. The giant bird tilts his head to the side, enjoying the flower girl's touch and affection. With Zack by her side, Aerith was finally able to touch the chocobo she was so terrified of a moment ago.

Zack gave 'Cloud the chocobo' a warm smile, he wants to thank the bird for being so gentle and letting him enjoy this moment with his girl. Feeling content that he had helped her face one of her fears, Zack slowly lets go and steps back allowing the woman in pink to face the bird on her own.

"Warrrkk…"

"Good Choco", Aerith said as she steps back from the bird. The bird flapped his wings and ran off to the opposite direction. With a huge grin on her face, Aerith turned to Zack, "Thank you Zack. He is so cute!" she said with her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Anytime," he shrugged humbly.

"By the way, what were you doing up so late?"

Zack looks up at the dark sky, "I couldn't sleep", _I have a lot on my mind_. "What about you? How's your night going?"

"I thought it'd be a normal night, then suddenly, I heard some guy talking to a chocobo," she teased.

"Okay okay, you caught me," he brought his hands up, surrendering to the beautiful young woman. "Please, just don't tell Cloud and the others". He pleads to Aerith playfully.

Aerith giggles, "Hmm, I don't know. You did name one of chocobo after Cloud. Give me a reason not to tell on you?" She crossed her arms.

The dark haired man smirks, he could already hear victory music play in his head, as he thought of a solution that will please this picky flower girl. "Because if you will keep my secret, I will show you some baby chocobos!"

* * *

"Warrrkk…"

The blond man rubs his blue eyes, "Damn bird…". Out of all the places they've slept over at, this is his least favorite. _These chocobos just won't shut up… _Cloud shuts his eyes again, trying to fall back asleep.

"No, I can't eat anymore", the man with the gun arm said in his sleep and continues to snore loudly.

Cloud covers his ears with his pillow and shuts his eyes again.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Barret mumbled in his sleep.

_How is it that everyone else can sleep through this but me?!_ The frustrated man finally spoke up, "Damn it Barret".

"Shhh… Tifa is still sleeping", Red XIII said from beside Cloud.

"Whoa!" Cloud sat up immediately, surprised to find Red XIII lying beside him.

"Shhh", The red beast warned again. "And don't worry, your not even my type"

"That's not even funny. Why are you on my bed? Where's Zack?" He immediately looks around the room. He noticed another person is also missing, and his blue eyes shot opened. "Where's Aerith?!"

"For the last time, keep your voice down. You know how hard it is to fall back asleep when Barret is in sleep talk mode".

"Answer my question Red".

The one-eyed beast sighed, "Zack left the room, and shortly after, Aerith did too. Barret kicked me off the bed, so I took Zack's spot".

"I need to find her", Cloud got up and starts putting on his boots.

"Anyone ever tell you you worry too much? Zack is probably with her, she's safe".

"You don't understand." _ Whenever I let her leave my sight, something bad always happens...and, _"Zack is not me". With his boots still untied, he runs out of the tiny farm house in search of Aerith.

Red sighed under his breath, "Humans huh?" He turns to the dark haired woman on the bed with her back facing him, "Are you awake too?"

"Mmm", Tifa answered. She has heard the whole thing.

"You humans are so complicated".

* * *

"Shh", the dark haired former soldier brought a finger to his lips as he signaled Aerith to remain silent. "Be on the lookout", the two are now by the door of the barn. The wooden door has a yellow chocobo painted on it and all that kept the two doors sealed are a metal chain, held together with a rusty silver padlock.

Zack brought one of his knee down on the ground and begins picking the lock with a pin.

Aerith scans the area for the father and son dual who looks after the farm. "How do you know this will work?" she asked the man quietly. She knew Zack was good with his hands, after all, he is a great swordsman and an even better flower wagon craftsman, but she never guessed that he has talents for locks too.

"How do you think I got the Gysahl Greens to feed the birds earlier?" he smirked. He has his ear close to the lock, listening for the magical click that will unlock the door to this barn.

'Click'. And there it was, following the sound, the metal shackle pops out of the silver body of the padlock.

"Got it!" the man exclaimed, _Zack you are a genius._ He untangles the metal chain from the door handles and carefully place it on the grass, trying his best to minimize the metallic clinking noises the chain makes from contact. "Are you ready?" he asked his companion.

Aerith nodded excitedly.

Zack slowly push opens the door, letting the bright moonlight enter the dark wooden shelter. The rusty hinges of the old door squealed, causing goose bumps to form on Aerith's back arms. Her nose was immediately invaded by a combination of smell, consisting of old woods, hay, greens and soap. It was a big surprise, growing up, Elmyra always said the inside of a barn would smell unpleasant, but the reality was actually quite the opposite.

"It's dark in there, better hold my hand", Zack warned, offering a hand to Aerith like a gentleman. Call it smooth, romantic wooing or just being flirtatious, but he always have her safety in mind.

Aerith bit her lips, hiding her smile shyly and shook off his offer. "I'll be careful. Let's go, Zack", she said and enters the barn first.

Zack chuckles as he shrug off her rejection, he never minded her refusal. In fact, that's what makes Aerith, well, Aerith. If he came back and doesn't have to earn back her affection, then it would be too easy. This beautiful lady in pink keeps him on edge, and wanting more. Not to mention she is bold when she wants to be, which can come off as intimidating, but the former Soldier operative had always found that side of her endearing. Aerith is who she is, and that is what made him so madly in love with her.

"The chicks are in the right stable at the far end", he said to Aerith as he follows closely behind her.

Aerith walks in the narrow aisle, leaving a trail of her hiking boot's footprints on the dirt ground. Thanks to the moonlight granting them a tiny bit of visibility through the two windows and opened door, the two are able to see enough to get by, otherwise, the place would have been in complete darkness. They walked down the pathway, pass all the other empty stables until they reached the one with chirping calls.

"Chirp chirp chirp"

Just like Zack said, inside one of the stable are four young chicks. The baby chocobos are just a bit bigger than the size of a forest goblin. Aerith could see the young fluffy birds staring at her curiously with their sparkling eyes, the only thing she could not make out in the dark was the color of their feathers, but she could imagine them to be either a pale yellow or white. A huge grin instantly formed on her face as she takes in the adorable visual.

"I thought you'd like them", Zack said from behind her with his arms crossed.

"They are so cute! I can't believe they would grow up to be such huge animals", she exclaimed.

Hearing the excitement in her voice makes Zack wants to do more, do more to please her, and make her smile last even longer. _So, what can I do to show her a good time?_ "Aerith, do you know there are different colored Chocobos?" he asked.

"Really? Where can you find them?"

"I bet you've never heard of Gold Saucer".

"The amusement park? You've got to be living in a box to not know that", she giggled.

Zack smiled at her answer, ironically, he always thought she has been living in a box. "Ever thought about going there?"

Aerith turns to face Zack, "There was a point in my life when I really wanted to go", she said in her sad voice.

The startled dark haired man took a step back in surprise at her sudden change in mood. "So why not anymore?!" _Did I say something wrong? I thought everything was going well. Think Zack, think._ "Is it because you found out there is a haunted house?" he asked randomly.

The young woman in pink looks down at her brown hiking boots, "no…", she shook her head and pressed her lips together into a line, not willing to share her reason.

Come on Zack think! "Is it—", Zack's question was cut short as he heard footsteps from outside the barn. "We need to hide", he quickly opens the nearest empty stable and grabs Aerith's hand to pull her in. They hid behind a hay bale in the shape of a large cube.

The two listens in to the sound of the footsteps getting closer. Zack slowly brought his blue eyes above the bale of hay to observe the situation. A shadow of a man with a pitch fork appeared on the pathway, triggering Zack's mental alarm. The former Soldier quickly sat back down to hide behind the dried grass, and he pulled Aerith in his arms. He wraps an arm tightly around her shoulders causing her head to fall on his chest.

"shhh", he signaled with a finger on his lower lips.

They say, when a man senses danger, he will protect what is most precious to him, and in this case, what Zack treasures the most is beyond obvious. Though Aerith is incredibly nervous, she remained perfectly stilled in his arms. Like a good girl, she sat in his protective embrace, clinging onto his dark sweater with her heart pounding.

"Who's there?!" The man with the pitch fork screamed. "You better not be after my chocobos!"

They remained silent.

"I have a weapon and I'm not afraid to use it!" the farmer held up his pitch fork as he walked closer to the end of the barn…

Zack clenches his teeth nervously, he didn't mean to cause any trouble, he only wanted to show her the chocobos and see her smile. Aerith felt his muscles flex and his embrace squeeze tighter around her. For a second, he did thought about surrendering and apologize, _but what if the farmer attacks regardless? I can't fight back an innocent old man... What if the farmer talks badly about Aerith for sneaking in with me? Is that even important in a situation like this? What other options are there?_

Zack continues to consider the 'what if's' as the shadow of the man get closer to their stable, but his thought was interrupted by a familiar voice belonging to a young man.

"What is going on?" said the familiar voice.

"Oh young fellow, stand back! I came out to find the barn unlocked! Can never be too careful! What if there are thieves in there!" the farmer said.

"…", there was a pause, as if the young man was taking a moment to think, "Thieves? I thought I saw your son here a while ago, are you sure he didn't forget to lock up?" the voice asked the farmer.

"Billy?! Oh my, maybe he did come in to check on the chicks", the farmer said, still unsure.

"That must be it, why would someone want to steal chicks when there are mature ones they can ride away with in the fence outside?"

"Young man! Are you questioning the way I manage my Chocobo farm?!"

"That's just my opinion. Well, I'm going back to sleep. Why don't you yell at your son tomorrow morning? I want to get some sleep and I'm sure my friends are disturbed by your screaming too."

The farmer took a few seconds to contemplate on his actions, "Maybe your right, go on back to sleep. I'll lock up".

"Lock up?" the young man asked nervously.

"Well of course, leaving the barn unlocked can attract burglars", the farmer said. The sound of him picking up the metallic chain from the grass can be heard from inside.

"… Right. I guess…"

"You should go back to sleep. I'll handle it from here".

Zack and Aerith could hear the door squealed as it closes shut, followed by the sound of the chain connecting the door handle from outside. They waited until they could hear the farmer's footstep fades away.

Zack took a sigh of relief and loosened his embrace.

"Was that Cloud?" Aerith asked immediately.

The dark haired man knew very well that voice belonged to Cloud. "Yeah", he grumbled.

"He was probably trying to protect us", the woman in pink took a seat beside Zack on the dirt, leaning against the dried grass.

"Probably", he answered.

"We are locked in now… but, I'm sure Cloud will come back to save us again".

_Cloud, how did you suddenly became Aerith's hero? _"Aerith".

"Hmm?"

"So much must have happened while I was gone, but, I promise I will make it up to you." Zack brought his large hand over hers and gently squeezed her tiny fingers.

Aerith knew this conversation would come eventually, she just didn't expect it to happen right now, "You came back, and that's all that matters right?" She meant every word.

He lets out a sigh, "But I've missed out on so much… you grew so much". _You blossomed._

"That's right. You've missed so much, I grew an inch taller!" She joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"And that is not the only thing that changed huh?" He paused, "say, your feelings?"

The young woman in pink took a deep breath as she summarized the changes she has gone through in the past 4 years. She will not lie to him, and lies are not what he wants to hear either, "Zack, I've gotten stronger mentally and I taught myself to use a staff. The flowers, they were selling so well at one point, it has taken a toll on my favorite yellow flower wagon, and one of the wheels fell off". She took another deep breath and continues, "I've met Cloud and the others and I developed new feelings... But most importantly, he helped me got back up on my feet".

"Developed new feelings eh?" he repeated her exact words in a disappointed tone, as if the latter part was all he heard.

The woman in pink could not see clearly in the dark, yet, she knew very well, he is wearing a pained expression, "Zack. Give me some time to figure things out", she intertwines her fingers with his and squeezed back.

This woman's touch is simply magical. With those small delicate hands, she made numerous flowers smile, and this magic seems to be just as effective on Zack. The squeeze on his hand brought a tiny smile to the dark haired man's face. It is a small gesture, but to Zack, it was a sign, that not all hope was lost and that he still has a special spot in her heart. What more could he ask for after leaving her for years? He brought her hand up to his mouth and gently pressed his lips on her.

_This is all I need for now, I will earn back the rest... _he thought to himself.

This is the first time Zack's lips had made contact with her. They dated for two years, one could only imagine they would have shared at least a peck on the lips, but no, their relationship was a pure and special one.

Zack have had 'relationships' before, but none was like the special bond he had with Aerith. This girl was not like the others he dated before, who only wanted to get physical, and dine in the finest restaurants. Not to say he doesn't want to get 'intimate' with Aerith, he'd be lying to say it has never crossed his mind. With her, he was able to experience true love, and found joy doing the silliest activities, like building a flower wagon, or pulling out weeds from her bed of flowers. She made him smile, challenged him, and comfort him during tough times. Most importantly, she loved him not because he was a Soldier of Shinra Corporation, but as plain old Zack Fair.

As for Aerith, she was drawn to this blue eyed man the instant he fell from the sky. She knew instantly, that moment would be the romantic highlight of her life. He is so interesting, so energetic, and so positive, all she wanted to do was get to know him better with the limited time he gets in between missions. The minutes she gets with Zack became so valuable, she didn't have time to wonder how his lips felt, or how warm the skin on his hand were underneath his gloves. Spending time with him opened up her life's boundaries, she was so happy, she looked forward to seeing the world with this man… But… With the music of the baby chocobos' chirps in the background, Aerith finally gets to enjoy the sensation of his soft lips on the back of her hand.

_I will win you back, and become your hero again. _It took every part of Zack, but he finally managed to part his lips from her hand against his will, "Aerith, let's get out of here".

"How?"

The man got up first and helped the flower girl up to her feet. "I don't know, but I will break a window if I have to".

The two got out of the unoccupied stable and Aerith immediately took notices of a narrow line of light in-between the wooden doors. She tugs on his sweater to get the man's attention, "Zack, the door is opened".

They walked to the light and Zack slowly pushed open the doors to peek outside. "Coast is clear", he said to Aerith. He noticed a broken padlock on the ground, just like she said,_ Cloud really did came back to help them._

The two exits the dark dusty barn. They adjusted their eyes as they enter the moonlit plains of the farm, and takes in the smell of the fresh grass. The young woman turned to Zack to find strains of hay stuck to the dark sweater she bought him. She giggled and starts picking them out one by one.

"Thank you, but worry about yourself first", he smiled and points to her long wavy hair. There are just as much yellow grass stuck on her. He gently ran his fingers through her smooth brown hair, brushing the foreign matters off. He had touched other women's hair before, women these days, they do so much to damage their hair in the name of beauty, but Aerith's are different. They are untouched by harsh chemical or heat, naturally soft and beautiful…_ Why do you have to be so perfect? _"What am I gonna do with you?"

Misinterpreting his question, the flower girl spoke up, "Sorry Zack, don't worry about my hair, I'll find a brush to get the grass off".

"No.. no... Don't be silly", He said with a soft expression on his face, one that is only wore by a man in love. His eyes travelled down her hair and onto her pink dress, reminding him of that silly rule he came up with one time. _I asked her to where pink every time we meet… _"You are wearing pink. You wore it for me, didn't you?"

His question has shot through Aerith like an arrow. She froze, hers hands stopped picking on the yellow grass from his sweater. She glanced up at the tall handsome man before her, and her face turned red immediately at the sight of his soft expression and those blue eyes that saw right through her.

"I just grew to love pink, that's all!" She girlishly shoves Zack by his shoulder, turns around, and starts marching away with a pout on her face.

Seeing her face flare up because of him, Zack felt victorious. "Heh. Wait Aerith", he calls after her with the biggest smile on his face.

"No". The flower girl continues to march away.

"Come on Aerith, I'm sorry for teasing you", he is really not sorry at all. With a spring underneath his steps, he follows the woman in pink. "Gold Saucer. You wanted to go with me, didn't you?"

She turned around, facing the man with her eyes widened. With her heart in her throat, she couldn't reply the man, but Zack knew her answer just by looking into her eyes.

"Then, grant me this tiny little wish, and go on a date to Gold Saucer with me", the former soldier clasped his hands together, and flashed his puppy dog eyes. "Please?" He begged.

Aerith heart skipped a beat. _It's not fair_, not fair at all. She never told him she wanted to go to Gold Saucer with him, and yet, he figured it out on his own. How could she not love this man? It is unfair how well this man understands and loves her, "Let's go on a date at Gold Saucer".

"It's a promise".

* * *

xoxoxo

**Author's Notes:**

I want to take this time to explain why I made Zack and Cloud's character the way I did.

To me Zack is the boyfriend I never had (unfortunately). He was that charming, flirtatious guy who never had trouble getting girls before entering a serious relationship with Aerith. An honest character who knows how to handle her picky demands. He cared about Aerith so much, he pretty much died for her, so naturally, I made him the guy that would not standby to see his girl gets taken away.

Cloud, I know is supposed to have adopted Zack's personality, but I never saw that in FF VII… To me, Cloud doesn't express his feelings very well, so what he lacks in 'words', I tried to make up for it in his heroic actions and a more silent possessive behavior. Cloud was that hero who saved her from Shinra and let her experience many 'firsts' outside of Midgar, so I want to continue giving him this special role.

I have plans to use other characters to stir up the story in the upcoming chapters, and I can't wait to share them with you.

Are you torned yet? Eh? Eh? I know I am, I still don't know who I want Aerith to stick with… Who would you choose?

Again, please support me through reviews/fav/follows. I want to know what you guys are thinking and how I can improve my writing. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thank you for reading.

PS -Thank you PutiPuripi for your lovely comments and advice. :)


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